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Statement from Ambassador Elizabeth Makhoul, Chairperson, Antigua and Barbuda Festivals Commission, on the Passing of th...
29/09/2026

Statement from Ambassador Elizabeth Makhoul, Chairperson, Antigua and Barbuda Festivals Commission, on the Passing of the Mighty Sparrow

The Caribbean mourns the loss of a true giant.

The Mighty Sparrow was more than a legendary calypsonian. He was our voice, our storyteller, our teacher, and our cultural compass. For generations, his music helped us understand who we are as Caribbean people. Through his songs, he captured our laughter, our resilience, our struggles, our triumphs, and our spirit in a way that no one else could.

While Sparrow was born in Grenada and belonged to Trinidad and Tobago, he belonged to all of us. Every Caribbean nation saw itself in his music. We embraced him as our own because he spoke to our experiences, our culture, and our identity. We are proud that one of the greatest artists ever produced was one of us. His genius emerged from Caribbean soil and was nurtured by Caribbean people.

At the Antigua and Barbuda Festivals Commission, where we have dedicated ourselves to preserving, promoting and advancing our culture, we know that Sparrow's contribution to calypso and Caribbean music is immeasurable. Every calypsonian who has stepped onto a stage, every songwriter who has crafted a lyric, and every artist who has used music to tell our stories has been touched by his influence. The stage on which so many of our performers stand today was, in part, built by giants like Sparrow.

He did not just sing calypso. He transformed it. He elevated the artform. He carried it beyond our shores and onto the world stage, all while remaining true to the people and experiences that inspired him. In doing so, he showed the world the brilliance, creativity, and power of Caribbean culture.

His passing is not only a loss for Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada, but also for the entire Caribbean family. We grieve not only for who he was, but for what he meant to us.

On behalf of the Government and People of Antigua and Barbuda, and the Antigua and Barbuda Festivals Commission, I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, fellow artists, and the people of Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada. We stand with you in sorrow and in profound gratitude for a life that gave so much to our region.

Let us continue to play his music, study his craft and honour the legacy of a man who helped define Caribbean identity through song.

Legends do not die when their voices fall silent. They live on in every stage they inspired, every song they shaped and every heart they touched.

Rest well, Slinger “Mighty Sparrow” Francisco, ORTT CM OBE, OCC. Thank you for giving a voice to a people, a pride to a region, and a soundtrack to a Caribbean civilization. Your songs will never fade.

Ambassador Elizabeth Makhoul
Chairperson
Antigua and Barbuda Festivals Commission

29/09/2026

Adulting comes with bills… and sooner or later, APUA is going to be one of them. 😅

But how do you actually get your electricity and water connected? What documents do you need? Where do you go? And what should you know before you apply?

In this episode of HOW 2, we break down the process of getting connected with APUA, step by step, without all the confusion.

Because nobody hands you an instruction manual for adulting… so we made one.

Watch. Learn. Share.

The House of Representatives will be meeting at Parliament Building on Monday 28 September 2026 (today) and and Tuesday ...
28/09/2026

The House of Representatives will be meeting at Parliament Building on Monday 28 September 2026 (today) and and Tuesday 29 September 2026. The following Bills will be debated as well as three Motions to be moved and passed:

Bills

1. The Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information (Amendment) Bill 2026
2. Fire and Rescue Service Bill 2026
3. The Antigua and Barbuda Forensic Services Bill 2026
4. Fi****ms (Amendment) Bill 2026
5. Magistrates Code of Procedure (Amendment) (No.2) Bill 2026
6. Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill 2026
7. Limitation (Amendment) Bill 2026
8. The Price of Goods Bill 2026
9. Mental Health Care Bill 2026

Motions

1. Resolution of the House of Representatives regarding thhe Agreement to amend the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Agreement 1983 which established the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank.
2. Resolution of both Houses of Parliament appointing Stephen Samuel as Ombudsman.
3. Resolution of the House of Representatives authorising the Government of Antigua to guarantee a loan facility to the Antigua and Barbuda Transport Board for refinancing existing liabilities and for financing the development and rehabilitation of the national road infrastructure.

The Fire and Rescue Service Bill 2026 and the Antigua and Barbuda Forensic Services Bill 2026 were carried over from the last session of Parliament on 14th July 2026 and was initially intended to be debated in that sitting.

The Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda met on Wednesday 23 September 2026.The Ministers of Cabinet made key decisions regard...
26/09/2026

The Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda met on Wednesday 23 September 2026.

The Ministers of Cabinet made key decisions regarding national security, immigration and border management, sargassum management and agricultural development, entrepreneurship and employment creation.

The Cabinet expressed their warmest congratulations to the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons on capturing the 2026 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League title.

The House of Representatives will be meeting on Monday 28 September 2026 and Tuesday 29 September 2026 to debate legislation addressing repeat offending, crime and the administration of justice, and minimum sentencing.

In last week's Cabinet Meeting on Wednesday 16 September 2026 the Ministers addressed various issues of national importance including water production capacity, comprehensive mental health reform, eye care services, parental responsibilty and violent crimes committed by juveniles, and the publication of the s*x offender registry.

Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hon E.P Chet Greene has been formally handed the Chair of the OEC...
23/09/2026

Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hon E.P Chet Greene has been formally handed the Chair of the OECS Council of Foreign Affairs Ministers, coming at a time when the sub-region is facing one of the most testing and difficult periods in its history.

The chairmanship was handed over to Minister Greene during the 10th Meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, which took place at the Permanent Mission of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations in New York on Sunday 21 September 2026.

The meeting was chaired by Director General of the OECS Dr Didacus Jules and brought sharp focus and attention to the common and unique set of challenges that are threatening the future survival of the small states of the OECS.

In handing over the chairmanship, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Hon. Dwight Bramble acknowledged the grave and profound realities ahead for the region. “The Minister's assumption of the Chairmanship comes at a moment when the established certainties of the international system are increasingly being tested, reinforcing the need for a more cohesive and strategically aligned OECS,” Minister Bramble stated.

In his response Minister Greene was quick to acknowledge the rapidly shifting international order and the heightened vulnerability of small states. He said it was imperative for the OECS to respond with collective action, outlining a multi-faceted approach to navigating the uncertain future. As part of his five point initiative, he offered that trade in goods and services within the region need to be expanded. The region, he also suggested, needs to make every effort to build more shared institutions and services, a model that has been serving the OECS well for decades.

“We need stronger air links among our islands, regular sea transport for people and cargo, and new connections to nearby markets in Central and South America. Governments can create the policy framework, but carriers, ports, exporters, importers, financial institutions and investors must help design, finance and manage viable services,” noted Minister Greene.

“Colleagues, foreign policy must become an instrument of this programme. I propose that we agree on a limited set of core OECS foreign-policy objectives, with rotating priorities that can be pursued intensively rather than a long list that exceeds our capacity,” he further suggested. Among others, he said, these should include the protection of the Economic Union's development interests, fair treatment of citizenship by investment and international financial services, climate finance and vulnerability-based access to development resources, the coordinated diplomatic action to secure reliable and affordable air and maritime links within the OECS and with alternative markets and defence of multilateralism and international law.

Against this background, Minister Greene is calling for a re-imagined OECS Commission, that establishes an implementation mechanism composed of qualified diplomats and the necessary technical specialists. “It should translate ministerial decisions into work plans, assign responsibility, set deadlines, coordinate our missions and report regularly on results. Foreign Ministers should provide political direction and review performance. We are small enough and close enough to make this machinery agile and effective,” Minister Greene proposed.

Also in attendance at the meeting and giving support to Minister Greene were Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Walton Webson and First Secretary Asha Challenger.

The Foreign Affairs Minister is also in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, arriving ahead of Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister the Hon. Gaston Browne who will be leading the country’s delegation. Also joining the Ministerial team at the UN will be Minister of Health, Wellness and the Environment the Hon. Michael Joseph.

Prime Minister the Right Honourable Gaston Browne will place Antigua and Barbuda’s expanding national eye-health program...
23/09/2026

Prime Minister the Right Honourable Gaston Browne will place Antigua and Barbuda’s expanding national eye-health programme before an international audience in New York on Wednesday, as he participates in a special development forum being held on the margins of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.

The Prime Minister will participate in “From Evidence to Impact: Making Eye Health a Development Priority,” an Impact Partner Session hosted by Devex in partnership with RestoringVision at the Devex Impact House at UNGA81.
The discussion will examine how governments can move from recognising the health, social and economic benefits of vision care to establishing policies and programmes that deliver services at scale. Antigua and Barbuda has been identified by the organisers as an emerging national example of political leadership and commitment to expanding access to vision care.

Prime Minister Browne will bring a government perspective to the discussion, focusing on Antigua and Barbuda’s decision to treat vision care not only as a health intervention but as an investment in human capital, productivity and inclusive economic development. “Good vision has implications far beyond the health sector. It affects a child’s ability to learn, an adult’s ability to work productively and a family’s ability to improve its economic circumstances. We therefore see investment in eye health as an investment in our people and, ultimately, in the economic and social development of Antigua and Barbuda,” Prime Minister Browne stated ahead of the engagement.

The international forum is intended to elevate near-vision care within global development discussions and demonstrate the economic returns that can flow from relatively simple and affordable interventions such as reading glasses.
The event brief notes that more than 826 million people globally live with uncorrected near-vision impairment, with consequences for worker productivity, household income and socio-economic mobility, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Prime Minister Browne is expected to address why Antigua and Barbuda has chosen to prioritise vision care, how political commitment can be translated into practical action across government, and the message the country’s experience offers to other governments ahead of the forthcoming Global Summit for Eye Health.

“The challenge for governments is not simply to acknowledge a problem, but to act upon the evidence. Where an affordable intervention can improve health, enhance productivity and improve quality of life, we have a responsibility to build the partnerships and delivery mechanisms necessary to make that intervention accessible to our people,” Prime Minister Browne said.

The session will also feature H.E. Keisha McGuire, Chief Global Affairs Officer of RestoringVision, with the discussion examining what is being described as “Visionomics” — the relationship between improved access to vision care and gains in productivity, livelihoods and economic opportunity.

The organisers have identified Antigua and Barbuda’s experience as an example through which the international community can examine the political leadership, partnerships and accountability mechanisms necessary to translate evidence into sustained government action.

Prime Minister Browne said the Government intends to continue expanding its partnerships in eye health and sharing the lessons emerging from Antigua and Barbuda’s programme. “Our objective is straightforward: prevent avoidable loss of sight, restore vision wherever possible and ensure that financial circumstances do not unnecessarily prevent our citizens and residents from receiving essential eye care. At the same time, we want Antigua and Barbuda to demonstrate that small states can develop innovative and scalable approaches from which others can benefit.”

The discussion comes as Antigua and Barbuda continues to expand its national vision-care initiatives through partnerships aimed at screening, access to corrective eyewear, specialised treatment and sight-restoring procedures.

The UNGA engagement will also help build international momentum towards the Global Summit for Eye Health, with the organisers seeking to move the global conversation from commitments towards measurable implementation.
Prime Minister Browne is leading Antigua and Barbuda’s delegation to UNGA81, which includes Foreign Affairs Minister the Honourable E.P. Chet Greene, Health Minister the Honourable Michael Joseph and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Walton Webson.

Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Health, Wellness, Environment and Civil Service Affairs, the Hon. Michael Joseph, call...
23/09/2026

Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Health, Wellness, Environment and Civil Service Affairs, the Hon. Michael Joseph, called for faster, more accessible financing for Caribbean small island states during a high-level ministerial meeting at United Nations Headquarters.

Hosted by the Government of Haiti, CARICOM, and Antigua and Barbuda the meeting brought together Caribbean representatives and development partners to discuss how international commitments can become investments that improve people’s lives. Minister Joseph spoke on the implementation of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States (ABAS), the ten-year framework adopted in 2024.

“For Antigua and Barbuda, ABAS must be a framework for delivery, not another declaration we congratulate ourselves for negotiating,” Minister Joseph said.
He stressed that Caribbean countries need affordable and predictable financing to strengthen infrastructure, prepare for disasters, protect natural resources, improve health services and create economic opportunities. He also called for the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index to inform financing decisions, since income figures alone do not reflect the risks small islands face.

Minister Joseph said international partnerships must help national institutions prepare projects, manage funding and measure results. He highlighted the proposed SIDS Centre of Excellence as a practical way to connect countries with technical expertise, training and project preparation support.

“The real measure of the ABAS decade will be whether a SIDS government can finance the infrastructure it needs; whether communities are more resilient; whether economies are more diversified; whether institutions are stronger; and whether our people have greater opportunity and security,” he said. The meeting forms part of efforts to carry shared Caribbean priorities into upcoming international discussions, including COP31.

Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade the Honourable E.P Chet Greene is advocating for countries i...
23/09/2026

Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade the Honourable E.P Chet Greene is advocating for countries in Africa and those in the Caribbean to seek out deeper and more practical partnerships that will deliver greater opportunities for their people.

Minister Greene made the call during a high-level meeting of the African Union and CELAC on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, now taking place in New York. CELAC is the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and brings together some 33 countries from across the region and Latin America.

The CELAC–African Union partnership is especially relevant today and this is not lost on Antigua and Barbuda’s Foreign Affairs Minister. It brings together Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean countries to potentially advocate with one voice on issues ranging from development, climate finance, trade among a range of others. They are also held together as countries in the global south by a shared history of colonialism, slavery and the need to find practical cooperation in trade, investment, technology, and climate resilience.

“The CELAC–Africa partnership is of profound strategic importance. Our regions together represent a significant share of the world's population, with considerable economic, human and natural resources. More importantly, we share historical experiences, common development challenges and a strong commitment to a more equitable international order,” Minister Greene reminded.

But the Minister noted that their shared aspirations simply are not enough. He noted the time is now to move towards greater practical cooperation. Minister Greene identified strong possibilities for growth for their countries in the areas of trade and investment, connectivity, technology, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, education, health and the creative industries.

He was however quick to add that there could be no progress if their regions do not move to “address the structural barriers that continue to constrain trade and investment between our regions.” In outlining a vision for the future, the Minister called on his colleagues to move steadfastly towards actualizing a number of key goals that would advance advance practical cooperation and strengthen the bonds between Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.

He identified stronger air and maritime connectivity between the regions, greater regulatory and institutional cooperation to facilitate trade and investment, expanded access to development and innovative financing for SMEs and vulnerable economies, and greater use of digital technology to connect businesses, institutions and markets as key priorities that need to be pursued.

He also underscored the need to deepen partnerships in climate resilience and sustainable development, with particular attention to the vulnerabilities of Small Island Developing States.

“Antigua and Barbuda remains firmly committed to strengthening CELAC–Africa relations based on mutual respect, solidarity, sovereign equality and shared benefit; let us use this opportunity to deepen our partnership, strengthen our collective voice in the multilateral system, and advance a development agenda that is more inclusive, resilient and responsive to the needs of our peoples,” Minister Greene concluded.

Antigua and Barbuda was called upon to play a prominent role at the opening of High-Level Week as the 81st United Nation...
23/09/2026

Antigua and Barbuda was called upon to play a prominent role at the opening of High-Level Week as the 81st United Nations General Assembly got underway in New York, demonstrating the significant respect the country continues to enjoy in the international community.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Honourable E. Paul Chet Greene, took the rostrum to chair the proceedings as leaders and senior representatives from countries around the world delivered their national addresses to the global body.

The Minister’s role placed Antigua and Barbuda in a position of responsibility at a consequential moment for the multilateral system, as the United Nations confronts questions of trust and its capacity to respond to a rapidly shifting international landscape.

The theme of the 81st session, “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All,” speaks directly to some of the challenges the body is facing. For Minister Greene, the occasion represented a moment of pride not only personally, but for Antigua and Barbuda.

"It shows that the country is still being held with considerable respect among the international community. And being called on to serve in such a role moves us beyond simply participating in an important diplomatic process but playing a role in managing its proceedings," Greene noted.

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister the Hon. Gaston Browne will join the country’s national delegation at the United Nations. Besides Minister Greene, the country’s Minister of Health and the Environment, the Hon. Michael Joseph is in New York participating in the High Level week meetings.

22/09/2026

Dreaming of owning your own home? Well, CHAPA might just be your next stop!

In this episode of How 2, we're breaking down how to apply for a home through the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHAPA). From getting your documents together to understanding the application process, we'll help you take that first step towards getting the keys to your very own home.

Because owning a home shouldn't feel like solving a mystery!

Watch, learn and share with someone who's ready to make that dream a reality.

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