NEW YORK 6TH March, 2026…Antigua and Barbuda is playing a role of leadership in advancing a critical component of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States (ABAS).

The ABAS sets out to advance sustainable development in all SIDS through an array of initiatives that build resilient economies and foster economic, social and environmental progress for island nations around the globe.

But the success of the ABAS depends on the ability of countries to measure, track and report progress towards its various goals. For the Caribbean, national statistical systems will have a crucial role to play in this regard through a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) framework embedded in the ABAS. The M&E, which was presented to member states last year, requires reliable indicators and consistent reporting to assess whether policies and programmes are achieving their intended outcomes for SIDS.

In view of this crucial mandate, Antigua and Barbuda made sure that its Director of the National Bureau of Statistics Statchel Edwards was at the United Nations this week to participate in a crucial meeting on Advancing the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States through Robust Data Systems. The meeting was organized by the Division for Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21). It was held as a side event of the 57th Session of the United Nations Statistical Commission, the highest decision-making body for international statistical activities, at which Edwards is also representing Antigua and Barbuda.

The SIDS meeting aligns with the crucial need for countries to strengthen their national statistical systems so they can fulfill their roles in monitoring the implementation, evaluating impact and assessing progress of ABAS initiatives.

It also highlighted technical assistance, capacity-building initiatives, and partnership opportunities available to SIDS to strengthen national statistical systems for the implementation of the ABAS.

While in New York, Edwards also made use of the opportunity to hold discussions with senior members of the Antigua and Barbuda Permanent Mission to the United Nations, including Permanent Representative Ambassador Walton Webson. Ambassador Webson updated the senior official on the progress being made on the establishment of the Centre of Excellence in Antigua and Barbuda, a key outcome of the ABAS. A core pillar of the Centre of Excellence is a Data Hub, designed to provide reliable data that guides policy and informs investments in resilient development.

With the CoE headquartered in Antigua and Barbuda, they both agreed that the National Bureau of Statistics and the national statistical system will play a pivotal role in the success of the Data Hub by ensuring its effectiveness in informing decision making, driving policy and measuring progress under the ABAS.

Also joining Ambassador Webson in the meeting were First Secretaries to the Permanent Mission Claxton Duberry and Asha Challenger.