Prime Minister the Hon. Gaston Browne opened Antigua and Barbuda’s participation in the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80) with a series of high-impact engagements that advanced the country’s priorities on climate justice, sustainable development, and gender equality.
The day’s programme combined major media interviews, a keynote address at the Opening Ceremony of Climate Week NYC, a national statement at the UN high-level meeting commemorating Beijing+30, a working lunch on global climate policy, and multiple bilateral meetings with partner governments and institutions.
Delivering the keynote at the kick-off of Climate Week NYC 2025, Prime Minister Browne drew a direct line from Antigua and Barbuda’s independence in 1981 to its current frontline role in the climate crisis, calling for fairness, accountability and scale in global action.
“Every degree of warming is an invoice sent to small islands—an invoice we cannot pay. Event attribution research proves that our losses are not ‘acts of God’ but the direct consequence of emissions,” the Prime Minister said.
“Adaptation is not charity—it is survival. Loss and Damage is not theory—it is lived reality. Climate finance is not optional—it is development itself.”
He urged timely capitalization and effective operation of the Loss and Damage Fund, cautioned against empty promises, and highlighted the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS)—including the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI)—as a fairer pathway to development finance.
At the United Nations, Prime Minister Browne also delivered Antigua and Barbuda’s national statement during the High-Level Meeting marking the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women.
He traced national progress from the establishment of a Women’s Desk (1981) to today’s Directorate of Gender Affairs, noting milestones such as:
- UWI Five Islands: female enrolment now surpasses male enrolment.
- First Gender-Based Violence Support & Referral Centre (2017);
- Caribbean’s first Sexual Offences Model Court (2019); and
- the forthcoming National Gender Policy, in collaboration with CARICOM and the Caribbean Development Bank.
He recommitted Antigua and Barbuda to accelerating implementation, resourcing gender equality, amplifying women’s leadership, and building inclusive societies across the Caribbean and globally.
In addition, the Prime Minister joined a working lunch hosted by the President of Palau and the Foreign Ministers of Germany and Palau, focused on the ICJ Advisory Opinion on climate change, financing challenges for SIDS, preparations for COP30, and questions of global climate governance.
Also today, Prime Minister Browne held four productive bilateral meetings.
With Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, both sides reaffirmed a multi-dimensional partnership—from economic assistance and energy security via Petrocaribe, to cooperation under ALBA and robust cultural exchange.
Antigua and Barbuda’s constructive role in regional diplomacy, including participation in the 2025 United States/Venezuela prisoner exchange, was noted.
In talks with Chancellor Christian Stocker of Austria, the parties discussed strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation, including Austria’s UN Security Council candidature and the potential opening of a CARICOM office in Vienna.
During a meeting with the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Prime Minister Browne pressed for direct, high-impact finance to SIDS—rejecting models in which resources are absorbed by intermediaries rather than reaching the most vulnerable.
The Government confirmed plans to submit projects under Enhanced Direct Access (EDA), combining grants and concessional loans to reduce the cost of climate-resilient home upgrades.
In discussions with President Duma Boko of Botswana, both leaders explored opportunities to expand trade and investment. Recognizing Botswana’s economy as anchored in the diamond sector, the parties identified avenues for mutually beneficial cooperation.
Prime Minister Browne also engaged in meaningful discussions with Simon Stiell, Executive Director of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC.
He also addressed media questions on crucial issues affecting SIDS, reinforcing Antigua and Barbuda’s Leadership role in advocating for climate resilience and sustainable development.
From the world stage at Climate Week NYC to the halls of the United Nations, Prime Minister Browne’s first day at UNGA80 underscored justice, fairness, and solidarity as guiding values of Antigua and Barbuda’s diplomacy—setting the tone for the remainder of High-Level Week.
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