With just days to go before Antigua and Barbuda hosts the Organization of American States (OAS) General Assembly, Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative to the OAS, Sir Ronald Sanders is speaking on the benefits this event will have for the country.

The 55th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) is scheduled for June 25–27 under the theme “Building resilient, inclusive economies in the Americas”.

Sanders while speaking over the weekend in the Browne and Browne touched on the economic impact.

“Well first of all, we are going to have over 1,000 delegates here. Official delegates just for the General Assembly itself. Those are composed of the countries, the delegates that are coming from 32 member states, plus the Secretariat and in addition to that we have all the accredited non-governmental and civil society organizations that will be coming from all over the Americas, and they will run into over 1,000 as well.

“So, we will have in our hotels throughout this week, and I suspect into next week as well hundreds of visitors who would not normally have been here. What usually happens with the conference of this kind, particularly if you come to Antigua, the Caribbean, people have ideas of the beauty of this place and the beaches and already today, we haven’t started work yet but some of the delegates have arrived and where are they? They are at the beaches, and they are looking forward to staying after the conference is over to take a break in Antigua,” Sanders said.

“So, they will be leaving money behind. They will be paying their hotel bills which will be significant, but they are keeping hotel workers employed at a time when normally we would see a dip in the season. So that’s what it means for Antigua, and it has a knock off effect of course, because there is ABST that will be applied to everything they buy when they go to restaurants and bars and all of that. So, there will be a significant sum of money left in the place,” he added.

Solidifying the nation as an international conference destination was another major benefit, Sanders mentioned.

Last year, Antigua and Barbuda held the SIDS4 conference, this year, the Caribbean Market Place and next year, the nation will host the Heads of Commonwealth meeting.

The SIDS4 Conference was the largest of its kind to be held in the Caribbean and with the construction of the American University of Antigua conference centre, showcased Antigua and Barbuda’s potential and ability to host major international meetings.

Politically, hosting a conference like this one, continues to stamp Antigua and Barbuda’s footprint among larger territories.

“Politically, it sends an even bigger message. What it says is that Antigua and Barbuda is taking the lead as the voice of a small country in international affairs and it is registering that it is capable of dealing with the biggest and best in the world,” Sanders declared.

One of those issues is mental health.

Antigua and Barbuda will be proposing an initiative to include the topic “Uniting the Americas for Mental Health: From Commitment to Action” as a key point of discussion.

The anticipated resolution from this dialogue is expected to be advanced to the United Nations General Assembly in New York this September, positioning Antigua and Barbuda as a global advocate for mental health awareness and reform.

The General Assembly will officially open with a ceremony at the AUA Convention Centre on Wednesday June 25, featuring remarks by Prime Minister the Hon. Gaston Browne and OAS Secretary General H.E. Albert Ramdin.