ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, Nov 3, CMC – Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne Tuesday said the relevance of the Commonwealth must not rest on history or sentiment alone, but must demonstrate through results and the opportunities how the people of the 56-member grouping benefit from it.
“Our Commonwealth has helped strengthen democratic institutions, uphold the rule of law, provide technical assistance, and amplify the concerns of small states. We must build on that legacy and make our association a more consequential force for global stability, shared prosperity, and international cooperation,” Browne told the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference (CHOGM).
He said that the theme of the event “Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth” provides a clear direction and that across its member nations is immense opportunities, capital markets, productive capacity, scientific knowledge, and human talent.
“The resources are there. The needs are there. What is required is the collective will to connect them. Let us expand trade among ourselves. Let us simplify customs procedures, strengthen transport links, and improve access to trade finance, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises.
“Let us establish predictable investment frameworks that encourage businesses to invest, to innovate, and to create jobs,” Browne said, noting that large economies can secure reliable suppliers and new investment opportunities.
“Small economies can access wider markets, attract productive capital, and expand their economic potential. Commonwealth corporation must deliver meaningful benefits for every member, regardless of size or economic strength”
He told the ceremony that the Commonwealth Secretariat’s investment platform provides an opportunity to connect valuable projects with willing investors.
“Let us turn those opportunities into productive enterprises, decent jobs, and lasting prosperity. Let us establish clear responsibilities, realistic timelines, and measurable outcomes, reporting progress between our meetings. “
Browne said that a Commonwealth connection must do more than open doors, saying “it must create opportunities, and those opportunities must translate into livelihoods.
“Fellow Heads of Government, our pursuit of prosperity must also recognise that vulnerabilities threaten to erase decades of development in a matter of hours. A single hurricane can devastate infrastructure, destroy livelihoods, and force governments to divert resources from education, healthcare, and economic transformation towards recovery.
The Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister said that national income alone cannot adequately measure a country’s vulnerability or its capacity to withstand repeated shocks.
“We must therefore advance the wider use of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index, alongside existing financing criteria, while pressing for faster access to climate finance, and debt arrangements that give vulnerable countries the fiscal space to recover and rebuild.”
Browne said that no nation should be forced to mortgage its future simply to survive the present.
“Those members with capital, technology, and influence in international financial institutions have an important role to play in advancing these reforms. Investment in renewable energy and resilient infrastructure is equally essential. They can protect communities, reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels, strengthen energy security, and create new opportunities for enterprise.”
But Browne said that the future of the Commonwealth must also be measured by the opportunities it creates for young people.
He said through scholarships, research partnerships, professional exchanges, and access to digital technology, “we can equip a new generation to build businesses, advance scientific discovery, and strengthen public institutions.
“Women must enjoy equal access to these opportunities, free from the barriers that continue to constrain their full participation. Governments, businesses, universities, and civil society must work together to translate our collective ambitions into practical results.”
Browne said that throughout this endeavour, democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and respect for the sovereignty of every member must remain the guiding principles, promising that as “chair in office, I will work closely with every member of government, our secretariat, and the Secretary General, as well as other entities to advance this agenda to strengthen our partnerships, and to ensure that our collective efforts produce visible and lasting benefits”.
He told the ceremony that the Commonwealth alone eliminate the divisions that confront the world, “but we can refuse to allow those divisions to determine the limits of our ambition or diminish the hopes of our people.
“From Antigua and Barbuda, let us send a clear message that countries of unequal size and power, united by common purpose, can shape a more just, stable, and prosperous future. Let us open markets where barriers once stood. Let us create livelihoods where opportunity (9:42) has been denied. Let us build resilience where vulnerability persists, and forge partnerships that turn shared aspirations into measurable progress.
“Above all, let us ensure that the Commonwealth is not simply an association we inherited, but an institution whose value we continually prove. Let history remember this moment, this moment, or this moment of global uncertainty, that we choose cooperation over division, that we chose solidarity over indifference, and that we certainly chose action over empty promises.
“Let ours be a Commonwealth that gives every member a voice, every young person, and every other individual the horizon of opportunity, and certainly every nation a fair chance to prosper.”
Browne said that it should be a Commonwealth that stands as “a force for good, a conscience in the international community, and a stabilising influence in an unsettled world. That is the commonwealth our people deserve.
“That is the legacy we must build.That is the responsibility of our leadership today,” he added.
CMC/pr/ir/2026