Commonwealth leaders gather in Antigua as Secretary‑General warns of global shocks

Over 50 heads of government are in Antigua for the biennial Commonwealth summit, where trade and investment will be discussed amid rising global tensions.

By Felo News Desk · Published Mon, 02 Nov 2026 15:18:29 GMT

More than 50 leaders of Commonwealth nations are meeting on the Caribbean island of Antigua this week, according to both the Independent and the New York Post.

What happened

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) began on Sunday, 1 Nov 2026, in St John’s, Antigua, and is scheduled to run through Wednesday. Attendees include representatives from nations that together account for roughly one‑third of the world’s population, as well as officials from Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates.

What the reports add

The Independent frames the summit as an effort to “strengthen ties during a time of global political upheaval.”
The New York Post notes that King Charles III was photographed gesturing in the rain during an Independence Day parade in North Sound, marking the island’s 45th independence anniversary.
Both outlets report that U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed the highest import duties on U.S. trading partners since the Great Depression, a backdrop to the discussion on “weaponisation of tariffs.”
Both papers mention a planned Commonwealth fund to provide digital‑skills training for about 10 million young adults and a separate fund to help member states transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
Richardo Aiken, a civil‑society governor for the Caribbean and Americas at the Commonwealth Foundation, said climate justice, freedom of expression and the empowerment of vulnerable groups – including Indigenous peoples – will dominate the people’s forum.
Several Caribbean leaders have called for the issue of slavery reparations to be raised at the four‑day meeting, a topic that King Charles III is expected to address after his recent visits to the Bahamas and Guyana.

What was said

“To deal with what to expect in Antigua, I think we need … to look at the world in which we find ourselves today,” Commonwealth Secretary‑General Shirley Botchwey told the Associated Press, as reported by both outlets.

“We’re looking at issues like conflict, economic shocks, rising costs, climate change, trade, weaponization of tariffs; and all of this hitting directly the pockets of our people.”

“All the countries woke up one day and were slapped with tariffs. If we are trading more among ourselves, whatever happens outside the Commonwealth will not affect countries too much.”

“It’s an opportunity we cannot miss.”

“How are we going to prepare them and ensure that our ocean is healthy?”

“We also have a large population of Indigenous people. It’s about how do we bring these players, the first people, those who were before us, into the conversation?”

How it came about

The summit opened with a Sunday church service in St John’s where King Charles III and Queen Camilla joined Caribbean leaders; the service was reported by Felo News on 1 Nov 2026 and focused on a UK apology for the trans‑Atlantic slave trade.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirmed his attendance on 2 Nov 2026, writing in The Guardian that he is “open to a formal UK apology for the trans‑Atlantic slave trade” while rejecting financial reparations. His participation signals the UK’s willingness to engage on the slavery‑apology discussion, a point highlighted in the Felo News coverage of his visit.

Key facts

More than 50 Commonwealth leaders are attending CHOGM in Antigua. (independent.co.uk)
The summit runs from 1 Nov to 4 Nov 2026 in St John’s, Antigua. (nypost.com)
Secretary‑General Shirley Botchwey highlighted conflict, economic shocks and climate change as agenda items. (independent.co.uk)
King Charles III and Queen Camilla were present at a Sunday service in St John’s before the summit. (nypost.com)