Commonwealth Foreign Ministers Meet in Antigua to Adopt the Summit Communiqué Leaders Will Endorse This Week

Foreign ministers from across the Commonwealth met in St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda, on the eve of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting for the 27th Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting, where they were tasked with adopting the CHOGM 2026 communiqué ahead of its endorsement by leaders, the Commonwealth Secretariat said.

The meeting was chaired by Antigua and Barbuda's minister of foreign affairs, trade and immigration, Everly Paul Chet Greene, according to the Secretariat. The ministers' task of adopting the text falls on Nov. 3, the day before leaders conclude. The summit runs from Nov. 1 to 4 under the theme 'Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth.'

<h3>The chair's message</h3>

'When we last met at Lancaster House in London, we agreed on the need to do more as Foreign Ministers – to uphold our collective values, increase our visibility, and deepen our relationship with strategic partners,' Greene said, according to the Secretariat.

'The Commonwealth is an important platform for dialogue, collaboration and opportunity. Through partnerships and shared action, we can build resilience, unlock economic opportunity, and ensure that the Commonwealth continues to deliver meaningful benefits for our people,' he said. 'This week, we invite our Commonwealth family to rally behind the CHOGM theme. Let us make the most of this moment of opportunity for the Commonwealth and show our people that they matter.'

Greene chaired the negotiations on the communiqué at a preparatory committee in London earlier this year; Antigua News Room reported that he received commendation for that work. The Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation reported that a final draft was agreed in London in July.

<h3>The secretary-general's priorities</h3>

Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey said the meeting sought to focus on challenges facing member countries, 'including how to respond to hostile actions against them, and how they fashion strategies to fill the gap for funding social goods critical for building their own resilience and shared Commonwealth prosperity,' according to the Secretariat.

'In today's world, there are few certainties left. But one thing we can be sure of is that the Commonwealth family is a place where all voices are heard, and that the time for action is now,' she told ministers. 'The initiatives we are launching this week complement national programmes and our existing support for member countries, with scaled responses that reflect our ambition for transformation. Inspired by our values and our history of problem-solving, we are looking to your leadership and support to deliver transformative change for our 2.7 billion citizens.'

<h3>Reports and a retreat</h3>

Ministers received a report from the chair of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group for 2024-26, Chris Fearne, Malta's minister for foreign and European affairs, the Secretariat said. The action group is the body that considers serious or persistent violations of Commonwealth values by member states.

They also welcomed reports from the Commonwealth's intergovernmental organizations, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Commonwealth Foundation and the Commonwealth of Learning, and from the four CHOGM forums for business, people, youth and women.

In the afternoon, ministers held a retreat on the question, 'How can Foreign Ministers promote the Commonwealth's shared interests and values in the current international situation?' according to the Secretariat.

<h3>What the communiqué will say</h3>

The final text of the 2026 communiqué had not been published as of Tuesday morning. A communiqué is a negotiated statement of shared positions; it is adopted by consensus and is not binding law on member states.

Heads of government meetings are the Commonwealth's main forum for setting collective priorities; the previous one was held in Apia, Samoa, in October 2024. Leaders are expected to endorse the communiqué before the summit closes on Nov. 4, after which the Secretariat typically publishes the full text along with any separate leaders' declarations.

For the host, the meeting is also an economic event: the Secretariat has framed the summit around partnerships and investment, and the four forums that reported to ministers, covering business, people, youth and women, met in the days before the ministers convened.

<h3>Why it matters</h3>

The Commonwealth's 56 member countries span every inhabited continent. Its summits, held roughly every two years, set priorities for the Secretariat's work on trade, climate resilience and democratic governance. The Secretariat has framed this meeting around investment partnerships for smaller and developing members.