标签： Antigua and Barbuda

As Caribbean leaders gathered for the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne delivered a clear, unwavering call for regional leaders to sustain their push for reparatory justice, clarifying that the long-running campaign is rooted in a fight for accountability rather than a request for financial aid from former colonial rulers.

Browne emphasized that the campaign for reparations is fundamentally a demand for restitution to address the intergenerational damage and persistent harm caused by the transatlantic slave trade and centuries of chattel slavery across the Caribbean. Rejecting framing of the movement as a plea for charitable support, he stressed that CARICOM’s collective position is built on established principles of justice and binding legal responsibility, framing the historical atrocities committed against enslaved peoples as crimes against humanity that demand redress.

In his address to fellow heads of government, Browne praised Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley for her decisive leadership at the helm of CARICOM’s Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on Reparations, urging all member states to preserve the progress the region has made and keep the issue at the top of the bloc’s policy agenda. He noted that growing global recognition of the transatlantic slave trade and chattel slavery as crimes against humanity has significantly strengthened both the legal standing and moral foundation of CARICOM’s demands. While he affirmed that ongoing diplomatic discussions with former colonial powers should remain respectful and solution-focused, he insisted that reparations cannot be sidelined or deprioritized for the regional bloc.

Browne also updated attendees on preparations for the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), confirming that the question of reparations will be explicitly included in the summit’s official communiqué. Foreign ministers from across the bloc will continue advanced negotiations on the language and framing of the reparations section ahead of the meeting, he confirmed.

The Antigua and Barbuda leader also expressed strong support for the CARICOM Reparations Commission’s newly launched reparations manifesto, hailing the document as a critical strategic tool that outlines the clear legal and ethical justifications for the region’s demands. He called for widespread distribution of the manifesto across Caribbean communities, to build greater public understanding of the goals and purpose of the reparatory justice movement.

Additionally, Browne reaffirmed CARICOM’s ongoing push to secure an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the question of reparations. He explained that the ICJ opinion would clarify the legal obligations that former colonial powers hold for the harms of slavery, and further underscore that reparations are a matter of justice, not charitable giving. Closing his remarks, Browne reaffirmed Antigua and Barbuda’s full commitment to advancing CARICOM’s collective reparations agenda, and pledged continued support for the implementation of the bloc’s landmark Ten-Point Plan for Reparatory Justice.

In a pre-summit dialogue hosted by the Commonwealth Secretariat at Marlborough House ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua and Barbuda, top global and Commonwealth leaders have issued a unified call to center small states in the transformation of the strained global multilateral order. The event, titled “What space is there for Commonwealth small states in a multipolar world where middle powers are also increasingly assertive?”, gathered prominent figures to address the long-standing marginalization of small nations in global decision-making, and outline a path forward rooted in the Commonwealth’s core values of equal representation.

Opening the conversation, Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey set the tone for the discussion, framing the gathering as a critical step to reframe global narratives around small state capacity. “We must change the narrative around small states. We cannot speak only of vulnerability,” Botchwey emphasized, noting that small Commonwealth nations consistently emerge as some of the clearest, most principled voices in global governance. “They understand interdependence because they live it,” she added. Botchwey went on to highlight the unique foundational structure of the 56-nation bloc, where every country – regardless of size, economic output, or geographic status – holds an equal voice in discussions. “That is not a procedural detail; it is a political principle. Our task now is to turn that principle into influence, and I am determined that the Commonwealth will be an instrument for the transformation of its small states.”

Small states make up a majority of the Commonwealth’s membership, accounting for 33 of the bloc’s 56 member countries, giving the dialogue unique stakes for the organization. During the panel, speakers collectively acknowledged that the post-WWII multilateral system, which has anchored global cooperation for nearly 80 years, is facing unprecedented strain. Institutions designed for a vastly different global power dynamic are struggling to adapt to 21st century challenges, cross-border cooperation is declining, and the worst impacts of climate change fall disproportionately on small nations that have contributed the least to global emissions. Most notably, speakers pointed out that small states are often shut out of key decision-making processes that shape their economic, social, and environmental futures. Despite these barriers, the panel highlighted that small states punch far above their weight in multilateral action, particularly when it comes to climate action, ocean conservation, and environmental stewardship.

The core of the discussion explored how the Commonwealth’s long-standing model of consensus-based decision-making – which grants equal voice to all 56 diverse member nations – can serve as a blueprint for building a revitalized, values-led global order rooted in international law. Under this model, small and vulnerable nations would act as active shapers of global policy, rather than passive bystanders to decisions made by large and middle powers.

Rt Hon Helen Clark, former New Zealand Prime Minister, Chair of the Global Leadership Foundation, and former UNDP Administrator, was the panel’s lead speaker. She argued that the original promise of multilateralism – that every nation, no matter its size, holds a stake and a say in the shared global future – is fraying amid shifting global power dynamics. “As power shifts and middle powers rightly seek a greater role, we must ensure the answer is not simply a slightly larger club of the powerful,” Clark stated. She went on to highlight the unique value small states bring to global governance: “Small states bring moral clarity, hard-won experience and outsized leadership on climate, on oceans and on peace. A revitalised multilateralism must make room for them, not as an act of charity, but because the system will be stronger and more legitimate for it.”

Joining Clark as a guest of the Commonwealth Secretariat was Hon Bill Blair, Canada’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. He echoed Clark’s call for inclusive collaboration, noting that middle powers carry a unique responsibility to advance equity in global governance. “Canada believes that a rules-based international order only works if it works for everyone,” Blair said. “Middle powers have a responsibility not to replicate the patterns of dominance we seek to change, but to open doors and build coalitions with small states as genuine partners. The Commonwealth shows what that partnership can look like in practice.”

The conversation was moderated by HE Karen-Mae Hill OBE, Antigua and Barbuda’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. Antigua and Barbuda is set to host the 2026 CHOGM this coming November, where the nation will also assume the role of Commonwealth Chair-in-Office. The summit will carry the official theme “Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth”, and will bring together leaders from across the bloc to advance shared prosperity for the Commonwealth’s 2.7 billion people. Hill emphasized that the dialogue was particularly timely given the upcoming summit. “As Antigua and Barbuda prepares to welcome Commonwealth leaders to CHOGM 2026, this conversation could not be more timely,” Hill said. “Small states are not asking for a seat at the margins of a new world order; we are asserting our place at its heart. I look forward to a time when the contribution of small states to multilateralism is fully recognised and supported, building on the Commonwealth’s decades of championing the voices of small states.”

The Marlborough House Conversation is just one part of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s broader pre-CHOGM dialogue series, designed to surface key priorities from member states ahead of the 2026 summit.

On July 2, 2026, a landmark virtual credential presentation ceremony marked a new chapter in the long-standing partnership between the European Union (EU) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). During the event, Her Excellency Fiona Ramsey, the EU’s newly appointed Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, formally submitted her Letter of Credence to OECS Director General Dr. Didacus Jules, publicly reaffirming the EU’s unwavering long-term commitment to three core pillars of collaboration: regional integration, sustainable development, and strategic cooperation with the OECS.

Opening the official proceedings, Dr. Jules extended a warm welcome to Ambassador Ramsey, offering his congratulations on her new appointment and taking the opportunity to underscore the depth of the multi-decade partnership between the two blocs. Reflecting on the foundations of their relationship, Dr. Jules emphasized that the EU has consistently stood as one of the OECS’ most reliable and enduring development partners. “Ours is a relationship built on mutual respect, shared values, and a common commitment to sustainable development, democracy, multilateralism, and the well-being of our people,” he noted.

In response, Ambassador Ramsey commended the OECS for its 40-plus years of work advancing regional integration and collective solidarity across its 11 member states. She went on to highlight the unique geographic and geopolitical ties that bind Europe and the Caribbean, pushing back against the framing of the EU as a distant transatlantic partner. “Europe is not just a partner across the Atlantic,” Ramsey explained. “Europe is also part of the Caribbean through the French territories of Martinique and Guadeloupe and the overseas countries and territories in the region. We share the same maritime space, the same neighbourhood, and many of the same practical challenges. Close cooperation between the European Union and the OECS is therefore both natural and essential.”

Ambassador Ramsey also conveyed formal greetings from two of the EU’s top leaders: European Council President António Luís Santos da Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. She reiterated the EU’s ongoing commitment to expanding ties with Caribbean regional bodies through the bloc’s flagship Global Gateway Investment Agenda, a major infrastructure and development initiative designed to boost connectivity and sustainable growth across partner regions.

Following the formal credential ceremony, Ambassador Ramsey and Dr. Jules held a closed-door working discussion focused on expanding the strategic partnership between the two organizations. Their conversation centered on eight key priority areas for deepened collaboration: climate adaptation and resilience, expanded access to renewable energy, sustainable ocean governance, inclusive digital transformation, expanded educational exchanges, support for homegrown innovation, accelerated regional integration efforts, and strategic infrastructure development. Both sides expressed optimism that the new ambassador’s tenure will bring tangible progress and shared benefits for citizens across the Eastern Caribbean and the European Union alike.

Against a backdrop of rapidly evolving, border-defying security risks across the Western Hemisphere, Antigua and Barbuda has issued a urgent call for deepened collaborative action among all nations of the Americas, arguing that coordinated regional partnership is the only effective response to modern security challenges that no single country can address alone. The appeal came from Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene, who represented the twin-island nation at the 17th Conference of Defence Ministers of the Americas, held this year in Cusco, Peru. The high-level gathering brings together defense and security leaders from across the region to assess strategies for bolstering collective stability and addressing shared threats.

In his address to fellow delegates, Greene framed the conference as a critical platform for hemispheric nations to strengthen open dialogue, forge durable cross-border partnerships, and design aligned, coordinated frameworks to tackle the security concerns that touch every country in the region. He emphasized that regardless of vast differences in geography, population size, and military capabilities, all nations share three non-negotiable core obligations: protecting their citizens, upholding foundational democratic principles, and preserving regional and domestic peace.

Greene pointed out that the global security landscape has shifted dramatically in recent decades, with contemporary threats expanding far beyond the traditional military conflicts that once defined national defense agendas. Today, interconnected threats including transnational organized crime, cyberattacks and cyber-enabled criminal activity, illicit cross-border financial networks, and coordinated efforts to undermine democratic institutions have created a complex risk landscape that demands equally interconnected, coordinated responses.

“The security challenges confronting the Americas no longer fit neatly within national borders or traditional definitions of defence,” Greene told attendees. “Only through intentional, sustained regional cooperation can we effectively mitigate these risks and protect our populations.”

Speaking from the unique perspective of a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), Greene shared Antigua and Barbuda’s core position that long-term security and sustainable development are inextricably linked. For small island nations like his, national prosperity depends entirely on four key pillars: secure open maritime corridors for trade and transportation, reliable cross-border air travel links, resilient digital infrastructure that can withstand disruption, and robust, trusting partnerships with neighboring countries. Any disruption to these systems, he warned, generates ripple effects that spread far beyond the borders of the affected nation, destabilizing entire regions.

Greene went on to highlight the ongoing, devastating impact of transnational organized crime on the Caribbean region specifically. Criminal networks, he explained, routinely exploit the Caribbean’s vast expanses of maritime territory to traffic narcotics, illegal firearms, human beings, and illicitly gained financial assets. These criminal activities do not merely generate violence; they erode the foundations of public institutions, undermine the rule of law, and threaten years of progress in economic and social development across the entire Caribbean basin.

While Greene acknowledged that the Caribbean has not faced large-scale terrorist attacks on the scale seen in other regions of the world, he urged leaders against complacency. Governments across the hemisphere, he stressed, must maintain constant vigilance against emerging, fast-evolving risks, including violent extremism, cyber-facilitated radicalization, unregulated illicit financial activity, and the misuse of emerging digital technologies for criminal purposes.

In closing, Greene reiterated that no nation—no matter how large its military budget, how advanced its defense capabilities, or how extensive its resources—can successfully confront the full scope of 21st-century security challenges in isolation. Stronger cross-border partnerships, sustained collaborative policy, and coordinated collective action, he concluded, remain the only path to upholding lasting peace, security, and stability for all nations across the Americas.