Hours before delivering a powerful and impassioned national statement to the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister, the Hon. Gaston Browne was engaged in pivotal bilateral discussions that covered a wide range of crucial matters.
Prime Minister Browne was joined by Minister for Health and the Environment, Sir Molwyn Joseph during a meeting with the leadership of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO). The PAHO team was led by its Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa and Assistant Director, Dr. Rhonda Sealey-Thomas, making it a reunion of sorts for the country’s former Chief Medical Officer.
The PAHO team was quizzed by the country’s top officials on emerging health concerns, particularly with the Covid 19 pandemic still fresh in the minds of many, and how the UN hemispheric health agency could help support the major needs of the health sector in Antigua and Barbuda.
Prime Minister Browne shared his personal concern on the issue of mental health and together with Sir Molwyn, identified possible areas where PAHO could help in addressing this issue in Antigua and Barbuda.
The PAHO delegation commended Antigua and Barbuda for its groundbreaking success in cervical cancer prevention, achieved through an aggressive programme of early screening and widespread HPV vaccination.
In addition, Prime Minister Browne along with Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Walton Webson, Deputy Permanent Representative Tumasie Blair and First Secretary Claxton Duberry, in separate bilateral meetings, held talks with Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Charlot Salwai and the former Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg.
In his meeting with the Vanuatu leader, Prime Minister Browne pledged Antigua and Barbuda’s unwavering support for the upcoming case at the International Court of Justice at the Hague, which aims to hold governments accountable for their contributions to climate change and its devastating effects.
This groundbreaking legal action builds upon the recent victory secured by a coalition of nine small island nations, including Antigua and Barbuda, at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, that set a precedent for climate justice on the global stage for all Small Island Developing States, SIDS.
Meantime, Prime Minister Browne and former Norwegian Prime Minister Solberg reaffirmed their commitment to the ideals of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI), which was successfully adopted at the United Nations.
Both PM Browne and Solberg were appointed to serve as co-chairs of the High Level Panel that led the process in the development of the MVI.
They used the opportunity to exchange thoughts and strategies on the implementation of the MVI and to ensure that multilateral development banks and development partners are fully engaged in the adoption of the MVI as a necessary tool to accurately determine the needs of SIDS in times of crisis.
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]
Does this mean after all the begging he has enough now to come home? Does this mean after all the posturing and trying to out-Mia Mia, he made some new friends?
we have to hold our breath until we find out how much more of Antigua and Barbuda he has “dealt” away?
Does this mean that he is the only leader who can leave his country in all this turmoil and stay away without a care about losing his crown because he knows no one dares to raise their head against him?
If this last is true, that brand of obeah have to be TRANG.