标签： Antigua and Barbuda

Ambassador Walton Webson, Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, positioned the survival of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) as the central focus of high-level deliberations during the 22nd Meeting of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC) Monitoring Committee. The December 8-9 conference in Trinidad and Tobago, convened under the theme “Unlocking Caribbean Potential: Enhancing Growth and Development through South-South Cooperation,” featured Ambassador Webson’s pivotal contributions alongside First Secretary Claxton Duberry from the Antigua and Barbuda Mission in New York.

During a distinguished panel addressing “Financing for Development: Increasing Caribbean Access to Climate Finance and Innovative Financing Mechanisms,” Ambassador Webson delivered a compelling address blending urgency with optimism for the Caribbean’s future. He characterized the current juncture as a definitive turning point that would shape the region’s resilience and prosperity throughout the coming decade. Drawing upon the transformative principles outlined in the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS 2024–2034), the ambassador implored fellow delegates to recognize this framework as both a generational commitment and a solemn promise toward achieving sustainable development for Caribbean communities and all SIDS nations.

The diplomat articulated how Caribbean SIDS remain constrained within a global financial architecture that penalizes vulnerability while employing evaluation metrics that systematically ignore climate risks. With more than 40% of SIDS currently experiencing or approaching debt distress, Ambassador Webson emphasized the critical necessity for revised financing regulations, enhanced financial instruments, and a strategic regional transition from post-disaster recovery to proactive resilience building.

Central to this transformative vision is the newly established SIDS Centre of Excellence, which the ambassador described as an innovative initiative that would leverage cutting-edge tools to pioneer novel approaches to climate-resilient development. Among the groundbreaking measures highlighted were the operationalization of the Debt Sustainability Support Service (DSSS) as a cornerstone mechanism, alongside efforts to simplify and accelerate access to climate finance.

Additional strategic proposals included the expansion of debt-for-climate swaps, the introduction of structured resilience bonds, and the development of domestic currency financing alternatives. Ambassador Webson further advocated for strengthening regional mechanisms through shock-responsive social protection systems, innovative disaster insurance products, resilience reserves, and comprehensive drought and heat-response frameworks.

“The Caribbean does not lack investment opportunity — it lacks risk alignment,” Ambassador Webson asserted, challenging international financial institutions to forge partnerships combining public, concessional, and private capital that properly align financing mechanisms with climate realities.

Following a year-long tenure as an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto, former United Progressive Party (UPP) leader Harold Lovell has returned to Antigua and Barbuda with a transformed perspective on governance and public service. The seasoned politician, who represented All Saints West constituency since 2009, describes his academic interlude not as a withdrawal from politics but as a strategic period of intellectual renewal.

Lovell’s departure from frontline politics followed two significant events in 2023: a razor-thin electoral defeat by just six votes in St. John’s City East and his subsequent resignation as UPP Political Leader. Rather than viewing these developments as endpoints, he embraced them as opportunities for recalibration and growth.

His academic engagement in Canada provided unexpected inspiration through daily interactions with international students and scholars. These exchanges fundamentally expanded his understanding of critical global challenges including climate resilience, artificial intelligence, technological transformation, and principles of effective governance. The classroom environment fostered meaningful intergenerational dialogue that reshaped his approach to Caribbean development challenges.

‘Teaching afforded me the extraordinary privilege of learning directly from future global leaders,’ Lovell reflected. ‘Their perspectives challenged my preconceptions and refined my vision for what a modern Caribbean society must aspire to become.’

Addressing skeptics of his political return, Lovell emphasizes humility and evolved leadership capabilities. He notes that the core challenges facing Antigua and Barbuda remain unchanged since the previous election: persistent water shortages, alarmingly high youth unemployment, deficient infrastructure, and escalating crime rates. His international experience has equipped him with fresh methodologies and comparative insights to address these persistent issues.

‘Authentic leadership demands the resilience to grow, adapt, and elevate oneself to meet evolving public needs,’ Lovell asserted. ‘We are meant to evolve in our thinking and capabilities.’

The politician’s journey underscores a fundamental philosophy: life represents a moving target requiring continuous adaptation. Lovell returns to his All Saints West constituency recommitted to public service, describing himself as ‘energized, enlightened, and prepared to confront forthcoming challenges while delivering tangible results for the community.’

Barbuda’s parliamentary representative Trevor Walker has publicly refuted claims made by a development consultant regarding sanitation conditions on the island, suggesting the misinformation may have been utilized to secure funding for a project that ultimately delivered no benefits to Barbudans.

During a parliamentary address, Walker recounted his direct challenge to a consultant who asserted that pit latrines remained a pressing issue during poverty-assessment consultations. The MP characterized the claims as both inaccurate and disrespectful to the island’s development status. “When the consultant referenced pit latrines as an ongoing problem, I immediately questioned this narrative,” Walker stated. “I instructed her to inform her sources that such characterization was entirely unfresh and forward.”

The parliamentarian raised serious concerns about whether these purported sanitation issues were leveraged to justify funding allocations for a dual-island solar energy and water system initiative. Walker emphasized the fundamental inequity in using Barbuda’s name to secure project resources without subsequent delivery of promised infrastructure.

Evidence of the project’s failure manifested in the complete absence of implementation, according to Walker’s account. Despite seven to eight religious institutions qualifying for assistance under the project’s criteria, not a single church received system installations or repairs. This outcome has prompted questions regarding transparency and equitable distribution of development resources between Antigua and Barbuda.

Walker carefully clarified that his criticisms targeted the consultant’s specific remarks rather than the Department of Environment itself. The MP stressed that perpetuating outdated narratives about Barbuda’s development needs not only misrepresents reality but potentially undermines genuine assistance requirements. He called for greater accountability in how project proposals utilize situational assessments to justify funding requests.