Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, the Hon. Gaston Browne made a visit to the United Nations in New York this week before his country welcomes thousands from across the globe in a few short weeks for the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States, SIDS4.
On every stop of a packed itinerary of meetings, the major priorities of the conference and the attention it is bringing not only to Antigua and Barbuda but the potential transformative outcomes it holds for all Small Island Developing States was a major point of discussion.
Prime Minister Browne along with Works Minister the Hon. Maria Browne held a lengthy and detailed exchange with Courtenay Rattray, the Chef de Cabinet to the United Nations Secretary General His Excellency Antonio Guterres.
Also attending the meeting were Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Walton Webson, his Deputy Tumasie Blair, First Secretary Claxton Duberry and Communications Lead Andy Liburd.
Prime Minister Browne and H.E Rattray dialogued on major matters around the SIDS4 conference ranging from the logistical details to agenda matters that would help ensure the conference reaches its far-reaching objectives.
Immediately after, Prime Minister Browne sat down for media interviews with UN Web TV and UN DESA Voice where he was able to share with their global audience his own perspective on the crucial issues facing small island developing states and the importance of SIDS4, through collective action and international cooperation, in finding solutions.
Following his engagements at the United Nations, Prime Minister Browne attended the Global Citizens Now event where he featured prominently on the opening panel of distinguished speakers and influential personalities addressing the theme World at a Crossroad: Act Today to Save Tomorrow.
The discussion was moderated by the host of MSNBC’s The Weekend Symone Sanders-Townsend and featured the CEO of Global Citizen, Hugh Evans, American actress who appears in a starring role in Black Panther Danai Gurira, and the Executive Vice President at CISCO Fran Kartsoudas.
In addressing questions about the climate crisis, Prime Minister Browne told the audience made up of intellectuals, business and political leaders and some of the most recognisable names in pop culture, that the world’s biggest polluters can no longer be allowed to put humanity, especially those living in the small island developing states and other vulnerable states at risk.
“We only have a single planet. We don’t have a Planet B. Therefore all of us, each and everyone of us, must be committed to addressing this issue of reducing harmful emissions by holding the large polluters accountable. They must understand that they cannot continue to put profits over the planet,” Prime Browne underscored.
The Prime Minister then held separate bilateral discussions with Sarah Fergusson, the Duchess of York, and the Executive Director of the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative Alex Rafalowicz. Prime Minister Browne, based on their fruitful discussions, expressed hope of seeing them in Antigua and Barbuda for the SIDS4 Conference.
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