{"id":241975,"date":"2025-07-02T07:11:04","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T11:11:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=241975"},"modified":"2025-07-02T07:28:30","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T11:28:30","slug":"closer-cooperation-and-advancing-mental-health-among-key-outcomes-of-prime-minister-brownes-bilateral-engagements-at-ffd4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/closer-cooperation-and-advancing-mental-health-among-key-outcomes-of-prime-minister-brownes-bilateral-engagements-at-ffd4\/","title":{"rendered":"Closer Cooperation and Advancing Mental Health Among Key Outcomes of Prime Minister Browne\u2019s Bilateral Engagements at FfD4"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Deeper international cooperation and the elevation of mental health on the global development agenda emerged as key outcomes from a series of high-level bilateral meetings held by Prime Minister the Honourable Gaston Browne<\/a><\/strong> on the sidelines of the\u00a0Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4)<\/strong>\u00a0in Seville, Spain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prime Minister Browne began the day with a major bilateral meeting with\u00a0H.E. Dr. Abdulhamid Alkhalifa, President of the\u00a0OPEC Fund for International Development. <\/p>

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Discussions focused on strengthening collaboration between the OPEC Fund and the\u00a0Debt Sustainability Support Service (DSSS), a SIDS-led mechanism to address debt vulnerability and unlock development finance.<\/p>

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In advocating for greater OPEC Fund involvement with Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Prime Minister Browne emphasized the importance of coordinated financing, technical assistance, and capacity-building:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe OPEC Fund has the reach and resources to make a transformative impact in SIDS\u2014this is the moment to act,\u201d he said.<\/p>

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The Prime Minister also met with\u00a0Dr. Amit Prothi, Director General of the\u00a0Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their conversation focused on enhancing regional collaboration and data-driven planning to strengthen infrastructure resilience across SIDS.<\/p>

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A key highlight was the proposal for CDRI\u2019s support in developing the\u00a0SIDS Data Hub, to be housed at the\u00a0SIDS Centre of Excellence.<\/p>

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This hub aims to provide real-time, actionable data to improve climate adaptation and infrastructure planning across vulnerable island states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe cannot manage what we cannot measure\u2014reliable data is the bedrock of resilience,\u201d Prime Minister Browne <\/a><\/strong>noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later, Prime Minister Browne held a follow-up meeting with Dr. Jarbas Barbosa da Silva Jr., Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), to advance discussions initiated during the recent 55th OAS General Assembly held in St. John\u2019s, Antigua and Barbuda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to implementing a landmark OAS resolution that places mental health at the center of the hemispheric health agenda. The resolution includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n