Prime Minister Gaston Browne Champions SIDS Agenda at Global Finance Summit in Spain

Seville, Spain – 30 June 2025 – Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister, 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.