Prime Minister Gaston Browne urged Commonwealth countries to use the opening of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow to deepen trade and investment ties. He said the event should be measured not only by sport, but by the jobs, businesses and opportunities that can follow across the 56-member bloc.
“The Commonwealth should not enter our consciousness only when the Games begin. Its greatest contribution should be felt in the years between them – in the jobs created, the businesses built, and the opportunities opened to people across our family of nations,” Browne said. He added that the Commonwealth should not stay in public view only when the Glasgow Commonwealth Games are on.
Glasgow and the Commonwealth network
Browne said the Commonwealth’s common language, legal traditions, institutions and diaspora networks give member states a distinct advantage when they do business with one another. He said trade between Commonwealth countries is around 21 percent cheaper and approximately 20 percent greater than trade between otherwise comparable nations, while the Commonwealth represents a market of some 2.7 billion people.
He also said the excitement around the Glasgow Games should serve as a reminder of untapped opportunities inside the Commonwealth’s economic network. That turns the opening ceremony into more than a sporting marker: it becomes the point at which Browne wants governments to think about lowering costs, widening market access and making cross-border business easier.
Antigua and Barbuda and CHOGM in November
Browne said Antigua and Barbuda will host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November, and that the summit will place a strong emphasis on trade and investment. He said this year’s CHOGM should move beyond traditional discussions centered on shared values and focus instead on practical measures that encourage commerce, investment and entrepreneurship.
He said Commonwealth members should pursue reducing tariffs, harmonising technical standards, streamlining customs procedures and making it easier for businesses, investors and skilled professionals to operate across Commonwealth markets. He also called for stronger collaboration on Commonwealth supply chains, connecting investors with viable projects, creating investment-ready opportunities and establishing common digital standards to facilitate trade.
Practical steps before November
Browne said the Commonwealth complements rather than replaces regional organisations such as CARICOM and the East African Community. He said real progress will depend on the willingness of member governments to implement those measures, and that the success of the November summit should ultimately be judged by tangible outcomes.
For governments and businesses, that leaves a clear test before Antigua and Barbuda hosts CHOGM in November: whether the Commonwealth can turn a shared history and a large market into easier trading rules, more investment and more openings for people across its family of nations.
