As the 81st United Nations General Assembly kicked off its High-Level Week in New York on September 22, 2026, a small Caribbean nation stepped into an unexpected spotlight: Antigua and Barbuda was tapped to lead the opening day proceedings, a gesture that underscores the growing respect the dual-island nation holds across the global diplomatic community.
On the opening afternoon of the General Debate, where heads of state and senior diplomatic delegations from every corner of the globe deliver their formal national addresses to the UN, E. Paul Chet Greene, Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, stepped to the podium to chair the day’s sessions. The appointment places the small island developing state in a position of unprecedented leadership at a critical turning point for global multilateralism.
Today, the United Nations faces growing scrutiny over eroding trust among member states and questions about its ability to adapt to and address the rapid shifts reshaping the modern international order. The 81st session’s official theme, “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All,” directly confronts these pressing challenges, making Greene’s leadership role on opening day all the more significant.
For Greene, the opportunity to chair the opening proceedings marked a source of national as well as personal pride. In remarks following his assumption of the role, he emphasized that the appointment sends a clear message about Antigua and Barbuda’s standing in global affairs. “It shows that the country is still being held with considerable respect among the international community,” Greene said. “And being called on to serve in such a role moves us beyond simply participating in an important diplomatic process but playing a role in managing its proceedings.”
Antigua and Barbuda’s full national delegation, led by Prime Minister Gaston Browne, will arrive in New York to join the assembly’s proceedings tomorrow. Alongside Foreign Minister Greene, Minister of Health and the Environment Michael Joseph is already on the ground in New York, taking part in the full schedule of High-Level Week meetings focused on global health and environmental action.