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Prime Minister the Hon. Gaston Browne has departed Antigua and Barbuda, leading a four-person delegation to the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. Accompanying him are Foreign Minister the Hon. E. P. Chet Greene, Health and the Environment Minister the Hon. Sir Molwyn Joseph, and Climate Ambassador Her Excellency Reuleta Camacho.

The UNGA session, which opens on Tuesday under the theme “Leaving no one behind; acting together for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human dignity for present and future generations,” is expected to focus on critical global issues such as climate change, sustainable development, and economic resilience.

Prime Minister Browne, known for his strong advocacy on climate-related challenges facing Small Island Developing States (SIDS), commenced a packed week of engagements by co-hosting a forum titled “Building Resilient Futures: The SIDS Debt Sustainability Support Service,” alongside leaders from the Maldives, New Zealand, and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. This forum sets the tone for the discussions he will champion throughout the assembly.

In the days ahead, Prime Minister Browne will engage in several high-level bilateral meetings, including discussions with H.E. Luc Mercelina, Prime Minister of Sint Maarten; PAHO’s Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa; Assistant Director Dr. Rhonda Sealey-Thomas; and leaders from Vanuatu, Venezuela, the United Kingdom, and the Central African Republic. Further meetings are planned with the King of Jordan, Crown Prince of Kuwait, Brazilian officials, and UN Secretary General António Guterres.

On Wednesday, Browne will join a high-level panel on scaling financing for vulnerable nations, alongside global leaders such as the Presidents of Kenya and France, and the President of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As a key architect of the UN Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI), Browne’s interventions in the panel will focus on financing solutions for the world’s poorest nations.

He is also set to participate in a Leaders Breakfast on Thursday, where he will address the existential threats posed by rising sea levels, alongside 25 heads of state recognized as champions for this issue. Browne is one of only two CARICOM leaders included in this group.

On Friday afternoon, Prime Minister Browne will deliver Antigua and Barbuda’s national statement to the UN General Assembly, where he is expected to continue advocating for special and differential treatment for Small Island Developing States, with a particular focus on climate resilience, sustainable development, and global solidarity.

This important delegation and the strategic meetings planned underscore Antigua and Barbuda’s continued role in shaping global policies on climate action and sustainable development at one of the world’s most significant international forums.