Antigua and Barbuda Pushes for Fairer Global Rules and Inclusive Development at UN GDI Meeting

Antigua and Barbuda has thrown its weight behind the Global Development Initiative (GDI), joining world leaders at a United Nations high-level meeting to call for fairer international rules, scaled-up finance, and inclusive access to technology.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne, delivering the country’s statement, said Antigua and Barbuda welcomed China’s decision to assume a more central role in global governance, noting that its leadership could help reshape international institutions toward “rules, institutions, and norms that are fairer, more equitable, and directed toward global peace and shared prosperity.”

He pressed for an end to “senseless wars or useless ideological confrontation” and instead urged cooperation based on love, peace, unity, and justice. “We are one human family,” he told delegates, stressing that small island states like Antigua and Barbuda must not be left behind in global development.

Browne identified several urgent areas where international cooperation must accelerate, including ending hunger and poverty, closing delivery gaps on sustainable development goals, mobilizing concessional and blended finance to build resilient infrastructure, and widening access to digitalization and artificial intelligence.

He also praised China’s contributions through concessional financing and grants, while calling on other major economies to follow suit. “This is the time to recommit, work together, reduce inequalities, and create opportunities that benefit all people,” Browne said.

According to the meeting communiqué, participants agreed to place development at the heart of the global agenda and reform financial governance to give developing countries a stronger voice. They also committed to defend rules-based trade, restore the World Trade Organization’s dispute system, broaden financing channels to meet aid and climate commitments, and scale up technology transfer.

The statement further emphasized cooperation on innovation and green growth, particularly in areas such as AI, big data, and low-carbon development consistent with the Paris Agreement. Leaders also pledged to strengthen the Group of Friends of the GDI and deepen partnerships with UN agencies, development banks, and other stakeholders.

The high-level segment featured speeches from Chinese Premier Li Qiang and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, followed by interventions from heads of state and government, including Antigua and Barbuda. A panel discussion explored practical ways to deliver the 2030 Agenda, focusing on revitalizing development in the Global South and bridging the digital divide.

Antigua and Barbuda reaffirmed its readiness to work within the GDI framework, actively engage the Group of Friends of the GDI, and translate consensus into concrete country-level projects.

The government signaled that its top priorities will include expanding concessional finance, strengthening infrastructure investment, and advancing technology transfer, especially in artificial intelligence and digitalization to support sustainable development for small states.