In a landmark address that set the tone for the 55th Regular Session of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda called on the nations of the Americas to reject isolationism and embrace unity, empathy, and bold multilateralism in tackling the hemisphere’s most pressing crises.
Addressing high-level delegates and dignitaries from across the hemisphere at the AUA Convention Centre in Antigua, Prime Minister Browne emphasized that the Assembly is not a ceremonial gathering, but a necessary and urgent forum for collective action in the face of overlapping global and regional threats.
“This Assembly is not a mere formality—it is an imperative,” he stated. “At a moment when multiple crises confront each of us and all of us, we cannot afford isolationism or narrow nationalism.”
With rising tensions in the global order, Prime Minister Browne stressed the importance of international cooperation, not rivalry. He urged large economies to work in partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean to drive inclusive trade, technology transfer, and infrastructure development—rejecting zero-sum approaches that treat the hemisphere as a battleground for influence.
Prime Minister Browne also issued a dire warning about the existential threat of climate change, especially to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like Antigua and Barbuda. He painted a vivid picture of the potential devastation that unchecked warming could inflict on the Caribbean’s culture, economy, and very geography.
“We are fighting climate change unrelentingly. We are fighting for our homeland, for our civilization, for our very soul.”
He called for deep cuts in emissions, massive investments in renewable energy and resilient infrastructure, and urgent climate finance from the world’s biggest polluters.
Following through on a theme developed earlier in the day during a side event to the Assembly, Prime Minister Browne underscored the historic importance of the OAS resolution on “Addressing the Critical Mental Health Crisis in the Americas”, which Antigua and Barbuda proudly led. He revealed shocking statistics: 16 million adolescents suffer from mental disorders, and over 10 youth suicides occur daily in the region.
On the issue of organized crime, migration and guns, the Prime Minister condemned the spread of transnational organized crime, illegal firearms trafficking, and the escalating humanitarian crisis in Haiti, where gang violence has displaced more than 1 million people in the capital, Port-au-Prince. He called for tougher import/export controls and collective enforcement to halt the flow of weapons and reduce the burden on law enforcement and vulnerable communities.
He also urged the OAS to strengthen regional coordination on migration, ensuring host countries can uphold human dignity and provide durable solutions, while addressing the root causes of displacement.
