PM Browne Reaffirms Antigua and Barbuda’s Commitment to Reparatory Justice

Prime Minister the Right Hon. Gaston Browne says Antigua and Barbuda remains committed to advancing the regional reparations agenda, describing the pursuit of reparatory justice as “an issue of justice and of restitution” rather than one of seeking financial assistance.

Prime Minister Browne commended the Chair of the CARICOM Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on Reparations, Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, for her leadership and advocacy in advancing the Community’s reparations agenda.

He told fellow Caricom heads of government at their 51st Regular Meeting in St Lucia, “We cannot afford to relent. It is an issue of justice and of restitution… our cause is just, and no one should believe that we are going to Europe, cap in hand, seeking handouts. What we’re actually asking for is restitution.”

Prime Minister Browne underscored that the transatlantic slave trade and chattel slavery have been recognized internationally by the UN and others as crimes against humanity and argued that the Region’s call for reparatory justice should be viewed within that context.

He noted that the issue must be pursued through “truthful, respectful, and meaningful” dialogue, while stressing that reparations should remain a central priority for CARICOM and not be regarded as “a side issue.”