标签： Antigua and Barbuda

A key moment in Antigua and Barbuda’s evolving foreign policy and language strategy unfolded on Thursday, as two new Ambassadors-at-Large — Samantha Nicole Marshall and Joanne Maureen Massiah — took their oaths of office during a formal ceremony at Government House. The event put the Gaston Browne administration’s long-stated vision of positioning Spanish as the country’s second official language front and center, framing the initiative as a core driver of economic and diplomatic growth.

With Governor General Sir Rodney Williams unavailable for the occasion, Deputy Governor General Sir Clare K. Roberts, KCN, KC, officiated the swearing-in, delivering keynote remarks that outlined the strategic logic behind the government’s dual goals: advancing the language policy and expanding engagement with the broader Spanish-speaking world.

Sir Clare emphasized that the push to recognize Spanish as a second official language is far more than a cultural adjustment. For the small Caribbean island nation, it is a necessary adaptation to shifting regional dynamics that are reshaping trade, tourism, and even cross-border healthcare across the Americas. He pointed to fast-growing economic and connectivity hubs in Latin America, including Panama City and Colombia’s Cali, as evidence that traditional patterns of regional exchange are being reoriented. To capitalize on these shifts, he argued, Antigua and Barbuda cannot afford to remain passive; it must actively cultivate deeper political, commercial, and people-to-people ties across Central and South America.

“The Government has articulated a clear vision of making Spanish our second official language. This is not simply a cultural objective; it is an economic and strategic imperative,” Sir Clare told attendees at the ceremony.

The timing of Marshall and Massiah’s appointments, Sir Clare stressed, is intentional, coming as Antigua and Barbuda refines its foreign policy approach to align with 21st-century regional realities. As Ambassadors-at-Large, the two women will be tasked with a broad mandate: building new bilateral relationships, unlocking new avenues for bilateral trade and foreign direct investment, promoting Antigua and Barbuda’s tourism and investment appeal across Spanish-speaking markets, and serving as bridges between the Antigua and Barbuda government and public and private stakeholders across Latin America and Spain.

Sir Clare added that both appointees bring decades of complementary expertise across public administration, legal practice, governance, and national development work, making them uniquely suited to advance the government’s expanding international agenda. Their backgrounds align perfectly with the demands of engaging with new partners across the Spanish-speaking world, he noted.

Beyond advancing the language initiative, the appointments underscore the Antigua and Barbuda government’s broader commitment to ramping up diplomatic outreach and strengthening South-South cooperation between Caribbean and Latin American nations. It also reflects the administration’s proactive approach to adapting to shifting economic and geopolitical conditions in the Western Hemisphere, ensuring the country can compete and benefit from changing regional integration trends.

After the formal administration of the Oath of Allegiance, Oath of Office, and Oath of Secrecy, Marshall and Massiah officially assumed their new roles. The Office of the Governor General released a statement following the ceremony, extending formal congratulations to both appointees and expressing confidence in their ability to deliver results for the nation during their tenure. The administration has not yet released a detailed timeline for the formal codification of Spanish as the second official language, but the ambassador appointments mark the most concrete step forward for the policy to date.

In a formal ceremonial swearing-in held at Government House on Monday, Samantha Marshall, a former cabinet minister and seasoned attorney, took office as one of Antigua and Barbuda’s newly appointed ambassadors-at-large, stepping into a new role that she says will let her expand her decades of public service to advance the twin-island nation’s interests on regional and global stages.

The event, overseen by Deputy Governor General Sir Clare Roberts, saw Marshall and fellow appointee Joanne Massiah complete three mandatory oaths: the Oath of Allegiance, Oath of Office, and Oath of Secrecy. The ceremony drew a diverse crowd of attendees, including senior government officials, sitting and retired diplomats, as well as the new ambassadors’ family members and long-time political supporters. Speaking shortly after accepting her official instrument of appointment, Marshall opened her remarks by expressing gratitude for the widespread turnout.

“I’m very pleased with this morning’s event and I’m equally pleased that we both have quite a good level of support coming out to support us this morning,” Marshall told reporters. “So it shows that there are a lot of persons that are very happy with our appointment and I’m very pleased for that.”

The newly installed ambassador’s first major diplomatic assignment was announced during the ceremony by Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene: Marshall will lead Antigua and Barbuda’s delegation to an upcoming European Union-Cariforum summit hosted in the Dominican Republic. While the appointment to the high-profile meeting came on short notice, Marshall said her years of experience in national cabinet have prepared her to handle time-sensitive responsibilities. She acknowledged the sudden nature of the assignment but emphasized she was ready to step into the role immediately. “I’m still trying to recover from that; however, you know it’s expected,” she said. “I’ve served as a minister of government. I’m accustomed to this. There are things that you have to do at the last minute, and so I will just get the brief and prepare myself accordingly.”

Unlike traditional ambassadors, who are permanently posted to specific foreign countries or international organizations, ambassadors-at-large are appointed under Section 101 of Antigua and Barbuda’s Constitution to carry out special, ad-hoc assignments on behalf of the government. They are called upon as needed to represent the nation at regional and international meetings, filling gaps in the country’s existing foreign service infrastructure.

In comments on the broader purpose of the new appointments, Greene explained that adding two new ambassadors-at-large is a deliberate part of the government’s strategy to expand and strengthen Antigua and Barbuda’s global diplomatic footprint. The move is designed to add extra capacity to the country’s small foreign service, allowing it to engage more effectively with international partners across a range of policy areas.

For her part, Marshall framed her appointment as both a profound honor and a weighty responsibility, saying she plans to bring the same level of dedication to the role that she demonstrated during her tenure as an elected Member of Parliament and cabinet minister. She stressed that her core priority will be advancing inclusive national development for all Antiguans and Barbudans. “I’m very happy to have this opportunity to serve,” she said. “I’m very humbled by the opportunity to continue to make a contribution to overall national development.”

She also made a public pledge to uphold the highest standards of ethics in the role, committing to transparency, fairness, and unwavering pride in representing the nation. “I recognize the very level of importance of this post, and I hope to carry it out with fairness, transparency and, of course, with a lot of pride for the people of Antigua and Barbuda,” Marshall said. When asked what the public can expect from her work as ambassador-at-large, she responded that her approach to public service will remain unchanged: “I think it’s very much what I have been offering before as a servant of the people, Member of Parliament, Member of the Cabinet.”

In a formal swearing-in ceremony held at Government House on Monday, seasoned legal professional and former public official Joanne Massiah took office as Antigua and Barbuda’s newly appointed Ambassador-at-Large, vowing to uphold the nation’s interests with unwavering integrity, patriotic commitment and exceptional performance ahead of her debut diplomatic mission.

Administered by Governor General’s Deputy Sir Clare Roberts, Massiah completed the required constitutional oaths — including the Oath of Allegiance, Oath of Office, and Oath of Secrecy — before receiving her official instrument of appointment. Speaking immediately after the ceremony, the veteran public servant framed her new role as a rare privilege to advance national development amid an era of intensifying global uncertainty.

“I am just incredibly humbled, thankful, and appreciative of this opportunity to continue to play a very meaningful role in nation building as we seek to reposition Antigua on the global stage and assist the government to navigate the deeply challenging global times we face today,” Massiah shared in her remarks.

A qualified attorney-at-law with prior experience serving as a government minister and opposition senator, Massiah accepted the appointment with humility, extending gratitude to every group and individual that has supported her decades-long career in public life. She offered special thanks to God, her parents, immediate family, friends, professional colleagues, and the broader public of Antigua and Barbuda for their sustained encouragement through all her personal and professional endeavors.

As an Ambassador-at-Large, Massiah joins a specialized cohort of diplomatic representatives that the Antigua and Barbuda government can deploy for special assignments, and to represent the nation at high-level regional and international engagements. Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene confirmed during Monday’s ceremony that Massiah’s first official posting will be as a member of Antigua and Barbuda’s delegation to upcoming joint meetings of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) hosted in Panama.

For Massiah, representing Antigua and Barbuda on regional and global diplomatic platforms is not uncharted territory. The newly sworn-in ambassador noted that she is already well-versed in international diplomatic protocol, and plans to quickly get up to speed on the meeting agenda and priority policy issues to make thorough preparations. “It will just be a matter of me revving up myself, dusting off my boots, and getting fully up to speed on the key topics this meeting will address,” she explained.

Massiah expressed full confidence in her capacity to deliver on the responsibilities of her new role, setting a high bar for her performance in office. She guaranteed the Antigua and Barbuda public that excellence will be the minimum standard she upholds throughout her tenure. “I can promise the people of Antigua and Barbuda that they can expect nothing but excellence from me, which is my minimum standard,” she said.

She further pledged to advance the nation’s interests with steadfast professionalism and dedication, while remaining anchored to the core values that have defined her public service career. “I will represent the nation and its people with integrity, with honor, with responsibility, with a lot of verve, a lot of gusto, and with all the patriotism that fills me,” Massiah stated.

Monday’s ceremony also saw the swearing-in of Samantha Marshall as a second Ambassador-at-Large, with senior government officials, resident diplomats, family members, and political supporters in attendance. Both appointments were made under Section 101 of Antigua and Barbuda’s constitution, and form a core component of the nation’s broader strategy to expand and strengthen its global diplomatic engagement.

A high-profile legal case that has gripped Norway for months has concluded with an Oslo district court handing down a four-year prison sentence to Marius Borg Hoiby, stepson of Crown Prince Haakon, on charges of rape, domestic violence and drug offenses. The seven-week trial has delivered a significant blow to the already strained public image of Norway’s royal family, following a string of recent controversies. Now 29, Hoiby entered the Norwegian royal fold in 2001, when his mother Mette-Marit married Crown Prince Haakon, the heir to the Norwegian throne.

The court found Hoiby guilty on two counts of rape, one of which occurred in the basement of the crown prince’s official Skaugum residence, alongside convictions for domestic abuse against his former partner Nora Haukland and multiple narcotics violations. He was cleared of two additional rape charges, after judges determined there was not enough evidence to prove the sexual encounters were non-consensual. While Hoiby has consistently denied all rape allegations, he admitted guilt to the domestic violence charges and to a 2020 offense of transporting 3.5 kilograms of marijuana.

Following the verdict reading, Hoiby’s defense attorney Petar Sekulic confirmed to leading Norwegian dailies VG and Aftenposten that his client plans to appeal the ruling. On the prosecution side, officials stated they will review the full 127-page verdict before deciding whether to launch their own appeal. Prosecutor Sturla Henriksboe framed the conviction as a win for Norwegian judicial independence. “This is a victory for our justice system,” he said. “No one can get away with serious criminal acts based on who they are or who they are related to.”

The trial dominated national headlines for nearly two months, pulling back the curtain on Hoiby’s long-running struggles with drug addiction. Prosecutors presented hundreds of pieces of evidence, including self-recorded video of intimate encounters and more than 800 electronic messages. Hoiby has been in custody since February 1, and did not appear in person for the verdict reading, citing unspecified medical reasons. Local Norwegian media outlets report he observed the proceedings via a secure video connection from Oslo Prison, where he will remain in detention through the appeal process.

During testimony, Hoiby opened up about the unique pressures of his life growing up connected to the monarchy without holding an official royal title. “I’m mostly known as my mother’s son, not anything else,” he told the court. “So I’ve had an extreme need for recognition my whole life, and that manifested itself in a lot of sex, a lot of drugs and a lot of alcohol.”

Crown Prince Haakon moved quickly to separate the Norwegian monarchy from the case, emphasizing that Hoiby does not hold official membership in the Royal House and is subject to the same legal standards as any other citizen. “He is a citizen of Norway and, as such, has the same responsibilities as everyone else,” Haakon stated. Following the verdict, a spokesperson for the royal household declined to comment further on the outcome, saying “The matter has been considered by the courts, and we have no comment on the outcome.”

For decades, the Norwegian monarchy has cultivated a reputation as a modest, approachable institution, aligned with the low-key public profile common to Scandinavian royal families. Norwegian royals have long leaned into a relatable public image, sending their children to public state schools and participating in common leisure activities like skiing and surfing alongside ordinary citizens. But Hoiby’s conviction comes at a time when the royal family is already facing backlash over another controversy: Crown Princess Mette-Marit’s public apology for past unwise connections to the deceased American convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The dual scandals have combined to erode public support and tarnish the royal household’s long-held positive reputation among Norwegians.

In a formal swearing-in ceremony held at Government House this Monday, Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs E.P. Chet Greene officially welcomed two seasoned public servants, Samantha Marshall and Joanne Massiah, to the country’s diplomatic corps, outlining a critical role for the newly appointed ambassadors-at-large in advancing the island nation’s international interests. Officiated by Deputy Governor General Sir Clare Roberts, the event marked a key step in the government’s ongoing push to strengthen Antigua and Barbuda’s footprint across regional and global diplomatic spaces.

Both new appointees bring decades of cross-sector experience to their new roles: each is a former government minister and practicing attorney, a combination of qualifications that Greene said made them ideal candidates for the flexible diplomatic position. Unlike traditional ambassadors, who are posted to specific host countries or permanent missions to international organizations, ambassadors-at-large do not hold permanent overseas postings. Instead, they form a flexible, on-call cadre that can be deployed to carry out high-priority special assignments for the state whenever the need arises, Greene explained.

“This is a very deliberate and determined strategy by our government to build a network of ambassadors-at-large that can be activated for targeted missions at any time,” Greene stated during his address to the ceremony. He added that the appointments reflect the Cabinet’s full confidence in Marshall and Massiah’s ability to deliver meaningful contributions to national progress through diplomatic engagement, noting that the turnout of stakeholders at the ceremony underscored the broad support for their selection.

The newly sworn-in ambassadors will hit the ground running with their first official assignments already scheduled for this month. Marshall will lead Antigua and Barbuda’s delegation to an upcoming European Union-Cariforum summit taking place in the Dominican Republic, while Massiah will join the country’s official delegation for back-to-back meetings of the Organization of American States and the Association of Caribbean States, set to be held in Panama. Greene emphasized that immediate tasking was intentional, as diplomatic demands often arise on short notice, requiring envoys to adapt quickly.

A notable highlight of the appointments is the government’s commitment to cross-partisan national service. Massiah most recently served as an opposition senator, a fact Greene highlighted to underscore that national development takes priority over partisan political divides. “What we do here today is to show that our country is not the preserve of a single political organization,” Greene said. “All qualified citizens are called upon to contribute their skills to national service.”

This approach aligns with the merit-based hiring and appointment philosophy long championed by Prime Minister Gaston Browne, Greene added, noting that Browne has consistently pushed to build a unified nation where advancement and opportunity are based on skill and contribution, not political affiliation. Ambassadors-at-large will be tapped to represent Antigua and Barbuda across a wide range of priority policy areas, including tourism stewardship, climate and environmental action, gender equity and women’s issues, among other key national interests.

In closing, Greene urged both new appointees to uphold the high professional standards that earned them their positions, stressing that the government expects them to represent the country with distinction. “There is no greater calling than serving one’s own country,” he added.