Commonwealth leaders have reaffirmed that no country should be denied a voice in decision-making because of its size, stressing that national capacity and resilience are essential to development.
The message was delivered on November 3, 2026, during the official opening of the 28th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda.
President Paul Kagame joined other heads of state and government at the opening ceremony of the summit, which comes four years after Rwanda hosted CHOGM in Kigali in 2022.
Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said hosting the meeting was a powerful response to those who doubt the ability of small countries to play a meaningful role in global affairs.
“Hosting this meeting is not merely an opportunity, but also a great honour and a way of demonstrating the principle that countries whose futures are shaped by international decisions should also have a role in making those decisions,” he said.
Browne noted that the summit was taking place at a time when inequalities persist, some countries continue to dominate global interests, and challenges to international cooperation remain.
“These realities remind us that when decisions are made far removed from the interests of our countries, they can have serious consequences for the lives of our people,” he added.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey also emphasised the organisation’s commitment to equal participation in development and decision-making among its member states.
“We are demonstrating that within the Commonwealth, the size of a country cannot be a barrier to its voice or its participation in decision-making,” she said.
King Charles III, Head of the Commonwealth, said the shift from Kigali to Saint John’s within four years reflected the organisation’s commitment to embracing its members and recognising their different strengths and backgrounds.
“The fact that we met in Kigali just four years ago and are now gathered here in Saint John’s demonstrates the Commonwealth’s breadth, the diversity of its member countries, their histories and their characteristics,” he said.
During the opening ceremony, Samoa formally handed over the leadership of the Commonwealth to Antigua and Barbuda, marking the transition of the organisation’s chairmanship.
