Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism Michael Freeland says the future of community and development projects will increasingly depend on stronger collaboration between governments and the private sector, following his participation in discussions on local leadership and public-private partnerships at the Global Partnerships Conference in London.

Freeland was among participants attending sessions linked to TRANSFORM, a long-running public-private partnership involving Unilever, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and EY, which explored how development programmes can be driven by those closest to the issues they are trying to solve.

The discussions focused on a growing shift in thinking — moving decision-making away from centralized global structures and placing greater authority into regional and local hands. The approach aims to create solutions that are more practical, responsive and rooted in lived experience.

Examples shared during the conference highlighted measurable success. Under TRANSFORM’s regional decision-making model, 88 percent of enterprises selected had at least one local founder — a significant increase over more centralized selection methods.

Freeland said the discussions reinforced an important lesson for countries such as Antigua and Barbuda as they seek innovative approaches to development and community upliftment.

“One of the biggest takeaways for me is that government cannot do it all. Public-private partnerships are becoming the new way of thinking when it comes to executing meaningful community projects,” Freeland said.

“We have brilliant people in our communities, strong corporate partners and international organisations willing to collaborate. The role of leadership now is creating systems where everyone has a seat at the table and where communities help shape the solutions that affect them.”

He said the conference exposed participants to practical examples of partnerships delivering real outcomes by building trust, sharing responsibility and allowing greater flexibility in implementation.  

“My participation showed me that development is no longer about top-down decision-making. The strongest projects are often the ones designed closest to the people. Governments must become facilitators and partners rather than carrying every responsibility alone,” Freeland added.

The minister noted that many of the ideas discussed could have relevance for Antigua and Barbuda, particularly as the country continues to pursue sustainable development goals and expand collaboration with private and international partners.

Observers say the growing emphasis on public-private partnerships reflects a wider global movement toward combining government resources, private-sector innovation and community leadership to address challenges that increasingly require shared solutions rather than traditional approaches.

Freeland returned to Antigua and Barbuda today Thursday after participating in the two-day conference, which brought together world leaders, business executives, philanthropists and development agencies under the theme “Common Challenges, Collective Action.”