Prime Minister Gaston Browne Champions SIDS Agenda at Global Finance Summit in Spain
Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister, the Honourable Gaston Browne, delivered a powerful and resonant message on behalf of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) at the opening of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), commanding the attention of the global community.
The high-level conference, held in Seville, comes at a critical juncture for SIDS, which continue to bear the brunt of an inequitable international financial system that restricts access to essential climate finance and development resources. FfD4 brings together governments, UN agencies, multilateral financial institutions, and the private sector in an urgent effort to reshape global finance so that vulnerable nations are no longer excluded or left behind.
On the opening day, Prime Minister Browne engaged in a series of strategic meetings, diplomatic discussions, and a powerful national address that placed Antigua and Barbuda—and the broader SIDS agenda—firmly on the global stage.
During the General Debate, Prime Minister Browne delivered an impassioned statement, outlining the systemic barriers that continue to marginalize SIDS. With striking clarity, he warned:
“SIDS will remain trapped in a vicious cycle of costly borrowing, escalating debt, and rising vulnerability.”
Calling for equity, not charity, Prime Minister Browne declared: “Let us be clear: we are not asking for charity. We are demanding fairness—a financial system that reflects our reality and supports our right to thrive.”
He closed with a firm pledge to maintain unwavering advocacy on behalf of SIDS: “I will continue to speak—loudly—for Antigua and Barbuda, and for all SIDS.”
Later in the day, Prime Minister Browne participated in the high-level forum “South-South Synergies: Financing Development in Latin America and the Caribbean through Strategic Partnerships with the Arab Coordination Group.” The forum explored new opportunities for deepened collaboration between the Latin American and Caribbean region and the Arab world, with a focus on mobilizing innovative development finance.
That evening, Prime Minister Browne attended an official dinner hosted by the Prime Minister of Spain, H.E. Pedro Sánchez. He expressed appreciation for Spain’s support of SIDS, particularly in areas such as climate resilience and sustainable development. In bilateral discussions, Prime Minister Browne highlighted three key areas where Antigua and Barbuda seeks Spain’s partnership:
- Scholarships for capacity building and tourism development;
- Support for the SIDS Center of Excellence to strengthen institutional capabilities;
- Endorsement of the Debt Sustainability Support Service (DSSS), a mechanism aimed at enabling development-oriented debt management.
Prime Minister Browne’s contributions on Day One of the Conference reaffirm Antigua and Barbuda’s leadership in advocating for global financial reform and equitable development. The nation remains firmly committed to building a fairer, more resilient international economic system—one that includes and uplifts the world’s most vulnerable nations. (Ends)
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Prime minister Gaston brown champion money begging that is what should be stated, to be infantilized by these global corporation where we portray ourselves as human being on the lower scale of existence that need to be looked after because we can’t take care ourselves, and it shows because our leaders control trillions of dollars from since independence, and no improvement to the life of the black people. And they take trips and see how white people develop their country for their people and still the black politicians just keep stealing the tax payers monies and produce nothing from even the monies donated from abroad.
Very accurate comment. All the while they cover up while covering for those that are involved al the way to the top. Only Parliament is living high on the hog while Gaston keeps building houses and his family keeps owning properties and collecting rents and the locals suffer. Its time for a change.
Eldread,
Could not have said it better .
The entire SIDS thing is a hat in hand adventure.
Antigua presence at the UN and in all multilateral organizations is to beg.
SIDS that was to address climate change and it’s now morphed into debt reduction and forgiveness.
Play that game; and it’s among the reasons why the big boys will never respect places like Antigua
Gaston Browne pushes a contraction agenda hoping for the best
The Trump administration wants to keep the world hooked on fossil fuels like oil and gas. The United States is the world’s largest producer of oil and the largest exporter of natural gas, offering the potential for what Mr. Trump has called an era of American “energy dominance” that eliminates dependence on foreign countries, particularly rival powers like China ego are dominant in Solar and EV
Gaston minions just exhibited a LVG operation to the US ambassador up at Crabbs. A total contradiction to the ideas of containing global warming and rising seas.
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