Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister Kiz Johnson Calls on OECS Ministers to Turn Social Policies into Action

— Minister of State in the Ministry of Social and Urban Transformation, Hon. Kiz Johnson, has called on OECS ministers to move beyond drafting social policies and ensure that vulnerable people receive practical support when they need it.

Speaking at the tenth meeting of the OECS Council of Ministers for Human and Social Development, Johnson urged her regional counterparts to focus on systems that deliver measurable benefits to the people they serve.

“There is a common agreement among Ministers that we are exhausted from drafting fancy policies that live on paper and barely translate to real and practical solutions for the people within our society,” she said.

“It is time for action. We want robust systems that are responsive, effective and meet the needs of our people who need to benefit from such services.”

The meeting, held in St Vincent and the Grenadines on October 7 and 8, brought together ministers, permanent secretaries and ministry officers under the theme “Advancing Social Protection in the OECS: Policy, Practice and Learning.”

Johnson stressed that establishing a programme is insufficient if the people it is intended to assist cannot understand or access its services.

“Until each person understands how to access such services and actually receive those services if and when needed, then it cannot be counted that the system is responsive and effective,” she said.

She also called for closer cooperation among education, health and social development ministries to address the interconnected needs of individuals and families.

“We need to get rid of the silo mindset,” Johnson said, highlighting the importance of combining expertise across these sectors to build comprehensive and responsive systems.

Discussions examined social protection throughout a person’s life, with particular attention to children, older people, persons with disabilities and caregivers.

Recommendations on affordable care included greater public investment in childcare subsidies, caregiver allowances, flexible working arrangements and stronger partnerships with non-state providers.

Johnson emphasised that disability inclusion must be treated as a matter of rights.

“Disability inclusion is a human rights obligation,” she said. “Disability does not mean inability.”

The meeting identified discrimination and limited access to education, healthcare, employment, social protection and infrastructure as persistent barriers. Priorities included stronger legal and policy frameworks, better disability-disaggregated data and improved accessibility across public services and disaster preparedness.

Participants also considered children’s rights through the OECS Regional Child Policy and Strategic Plan 2026–2032, including the importance of hearing children’s views and taking them seriously.

Support for older people included care arrangements, retirement-related assistance and health and wellness initiatives.

Johnson further highlighted the financial pressures facing social development ministries as they respond to increasingly complex needs.

“We agreed that Governments could no longer afford to cut the budgets for social and human development,” she said.

A ministerial Gender Caucus on the second day examined digital transformation and retirement protection for informal workers, including farmers, fisherfolk and domestic workers.

Disaster response also featured on the agenda, with participants considering how financing could reach vulnerable households more quickly and how regular simulation exercises could strengthen preparedness.