Antigua and Barbuda has claimed one of its most significant multilateral achievements in recent years, with veteran gender equality advocate Sheila Roseau elected to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women — one of the world’s foremost human rights treaty bodies — following a highly competitive election at UN Headquarters in New York.
Elected by 185 Member States
Roseau was elected on Friday during the 24th Meeting of States Parties at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, earning the support of 185 member states. Her victory came in a particularly competitive field, with approximately 20 candidates contesting just 12 available seats on the committee.
Who is Sheila Roseau?
A former Executive Director of the Directorate of Gender Affairs in Antigua and Barbuda, Roseau has spent decades championing gender equality, human rights, and sustainable development across the Caribbean, Africa, and Latin America. Her election brings to CEDAW a practitioner with deep firsthand experience of the policy and institutional challenges facing small island developing states in advancing women’s rights — a perspective the committee has long sought to strengthen.
What CEDAW Does
CEDAW is the committee responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women by member states. The committee also plays a critical role in strengthening global accountability for protecting and advancing the rights of women and girls worldwide.
“My Commitment Has Never Wavered”
Roseau received the news with characteristic resolve, framing the appointment as both a personal honour and a renewed call to service.
“It is with profound honour and a deep sense of humility to have been elected by member states to serve as a member of CEDAW,” she said. “My commitment to advancing the principles of the Convention have never wavered and with my election to the membership, I look forward to working closely with my fellow Committee members and States Parties to strengthen implementation of the Convention.”
Diplomatic Groundwork Recognised
The Antigua and Barbuda Permanent Mission to the United Nations played a key role in securing Roseau’s election. Government officials singled out Counsellor Glentis Thomas for coordinating the diplomatic engagement that supported her candidacy throughout the campaign.
Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Walton Webson, welcomed the result warmly. “I too am truly pleased by this recognition for Ms. Roseau. She was a major and committed figure in our coordination of the SIDS4 Conference in Antigua and Barbuda and I have no doubt she will serve CEDAW well with the same enthusiasm and zeal,” he said, adding that Roseau’s election reflects Antigua and Barbuda’s continued commitment to multilateral cooperation and the promotion of human rights on the global stage.
Roseau’s election adds another chapter to what has been a period of notable Antiguan and Barbudan representation in international institutions, and comes as the twin-island nation prepares to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November — a moment at which its global standing and diplomatic relationships will be on full display before the world.
