Antigua and Barbuda has reaffirmed its commitment to disability rights and climate resilience at a regional population and development forum in Santiago, Chile.

Senator Michael Freeland, representing Minister of Social and Urban Transformation Rawdon Turner, addressed the Sixth Meeting of the Presiding Officers of the Regional Conference on Population and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean on 29–30 October 2025. Antigua and Barbuda served as one of the meeting’s Vice Presidents, focusing on the theme, “From Statistical Visibility to the Exercise of Rights.”

Freeland highlighted the need to move beyond mere recognition of people with disabilities. “Statistical visibility must translate into tangible rights, accessible health services, inclusive education, decent work, and meaningful participation in decision-making,” he said, pledging stronger national data collection and integration of accessibility into health services.

He praised the Antigua and Barbuda Association of Persons with Disabilities for its role in shaping the Disabilities Act (2017), calling it a milestone for equality.

Freeland also warned that climate change threatens Small Island Developing States. Referring to recent devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, he urged regional partners to embed climate resilience into all population and development planning.

He reaffirmed Antigua and Barbuda’s commitment to the Montevideo Consensus, describing it as “the most progressive and comprehensive framework for population and development in our region.”