Antigua and Barbuda will be represented on a high-level CARICOM Reparations Commission (CRC) mission to the United Kingdom scheduled for July 13 to 16, 2026, according to Antigua News Room. The delegation will work to strengthen strategic partnerships and advance public education and civil society engagement on the reparations agenda.
Dorbrene O'Marde, Chairman of the Antigua and Barbuda Reparations Support Commission and Vice Chair of the CRC, will represent the twin-island nation as part of the official delegation. He will be joined by Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Chairman of the CRC; Eric Phillips, Chairman of the Guyana Reparations Committee and CRC Vice Chair; Professor Verene Shepherd, Vice Chair of the CRC and Vice Chair of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination; and Ambassador David Comissong, Barbados' Ambassador to CARICOM. Dr Ron Daniels, Convenor of the National African Reparations Commission in the United States, will also participate.
Meetings and events will be hosted by the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London.
The visit comes at a pivotal moment in international reparations efforts. In March 2026, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a landmark Ghana-led resolution declaring the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans and chattel enslavement as the "gravest crime against humanity." Ghana subsequently hosted the High-Level Consultative Conference on Reparations in Accra in June 2026 — described as a "historic turning point for Africans and People of African descent" — bringing together governments, international organisations, legal experts, and civil society leaders to develop a unified global framework for reparatory justice.
The mission also follows the finalisation and approval of the revised CARICOM Ten Point Plan for Reparatory Justice: A Manifesto for the Coming Enlightenment, which positions reparations as a "global human rights imperative." The Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government approved the document and agreed to several additional initiatives to advance the region's reparations agenda.
The delegation's UK visit takes place as CARICOM member states also prepare for CHOGM 2026, which is scheduled to be held in Antigua and Barbuda.
This marks the second official visit to the UK by the CRC as a collective body. The Commission noted the trip underscores its commitment to building international alliances and fostering dialogue around reparatory justice, historical accountability, and socio-economic transformation.
Media representatives are invited to attend a briefing with CRC delegates on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 2:00 PM BST (10:00 AM AST), held at Room 261, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU. Virtual participation is available via Zoom. Members of the media are asked to join at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start time.
Updates on the mission will be shared through CARICOM.org and the organisation's official social media platforms.
