COMMONWEALTH SUMMIT WRAPS UP WITH FUNDING PLEDGES…and movement on slavery controversy

The 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government(CHOGM) wrapped up in Antigua and Barbuda with a commitment to “build a more peaceful, healthy, prosperous and resilient Commonwealth for our 2.7 billion people”. The theme of this year’s 28th CHOGM was ‘Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth ’.

Among the highlights of the four-day summit held in Antigua and Barbuda are investment and funding pledges totalling over half a billion US dollars, agreed at a Leaders’ Breakfast attended by Heads of Government, Chief Executive Officers, investors, high-net-worth individuals and multilateral organisations.

Podium announcements, monetary and in-kind, highlighted significant investment initiatives, funding, and commitments towards trade, climate action, digital transformation, and youth development. Also included is unlocking finance for youth enterprises, early-warning disaster risk mitigation, and climate finance.

In addition to a series of pledges for social enterprises and business development projects is an initiative for a Commonwealth People’s Lottery. In a key announcement, British business magnate Sir Richard Branson announced support for the proposed lottery, proceeds from which will support climate initiatives, community health projects and education, and empower young entrepreneurs.

These commitments come despite what the leaders of the 56-nation Commonwealth said was the “great disruption to the rules-based international order and global economy, stalled economic growth, growing inequality, ongoing multiple conflicts and climate emergency”.

GLOBAL ISSUES

The communique issued at the end of the November 1st to 4th summit stated: “We express concern at growing intolerance globally, including attacks on freedom of religion or belief, rising antisemitism and Islamophobia, racism and racial discrimination. We commit to strengthening social cohesion and to combating rising religious intolerance, stigmatisation, discrimination, incitement to violence, gender-based violence and violence against persons based on religion or belief.”

The Commonwealth leaders said they are concerned about the shrinking civic and political space, and the growing restrictions placed on independent civil society actors, human rights defenders, and journalists, including the misuse of laws to criminalise their activities and suppress dissent and freedom of association.

REPARATIONS

One non-agenda issue overshadowed much of the sideline discussions and media coverage leading up to, during, and continuing after the summit. That is the issue of reparations from the UK for its role in the TransAtlantic slave trade.

According to the communique, the leaders “agreed that the time had come for meaningful, truthful, and respectful conversation towards forging a common future based on equity. We note the developments made, including the adoption of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution ‘Declaration of the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans and Racialised Chattel Enslavement of Africans as the Gravest Crime against Humanity. It also referred to other initiatives undertaken by the African Union (AU) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and other partners to advance the reparatory justice agenda and restitution of cultural heritage.”

It concluded: “We welcome the agreement of the Government of the United Kingdom to engage in a structured, time-bound, inclusive and good-faith dialogue with affected parties addressing the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans and its historical harms.”

In his keynote address at the summit’s opening ceremony, the British monarch, King Charles III, stated: “King Charles has described the transatlantic slave trade as a “shameful chapter of history” that filled him with “profound sorrow”, which many commentators said fell just short of a full apology, although the remarks generally received a warm reaction.

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has indicated that the UK is “open” to making a formal apology for its role in the transatlantic slave trade - but ruled out the prospect of paying financial reparations. However, he has pledged £40 million over the next three years to support critical infrastructure investment in the Caribbean, including renewable energy. That is part of what has been described as a ‘debt reset’ announced by the Prime Minister.