Young leaders from Antigua and Barbuda are joining their peers from across Africa and the wider Commonwealth in intensive preparations for what organisers are describing as a game-changing Commonwealth Youth Forum, set to take place at the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus from November 1 to 4 — just weeks before the twin-island nation hosts the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
The forum will bring together young people from across the 56-nation Commonwealth and give them a direct platform to shape discussions on some of the world’s most pressing issues — from climate change and sustainable development to youth employment, digital innovation, and governance. The outcomes of the Youth Forum are traditionally presented to Commonwealth leaders during CHOGM itself, giving the delegates’ recommendations a direct pathway to the highest levels of Commonwealth decision-making.
An Innovation Challenge at the Centre
The standout feature of this year’s forum will be an innovation challenge designed to test delegates’ problem-solving skills — a format that moves beyond traditional speeches and panel discussions to place practical, solution-oriented thinking at the heart of the youth programme.
A Fitting Venue for a Youth-Centred Event
The selection of the UWI Five Islands Campus as the venue is significant. The campus — whose inaugural Council was chaired by the late Sir Aziz Hadeed from its inception in 2019 until his passing earlier this year — has steadily grown into a regional academic institution of increasing stature. Hosting the Commonwealth Youth Forum will place it on the international stage, reinforcing both the campus’s role in Antigua and Barbuda’s educational infrastructure and the country’s broader commitment to youth development as a pillar of national policy.
Part of a Larger CHOGM Moment
The Youth Forum forms part of a constellation of events surrounding CHOGM 2026, which will bring leaders from across the Commonwealth to Antigua and Barbuda in November, alongside an anticipated state visit by His Majesty King Charles III. With more than 800 volunteers already signed up, over 130 delegation liaison officers identified, and the three-day Exercise STRONGHOLD security drill completed this week, preparations for the summit are entering their final phase.
For the young Antiguans and Barbudans who will participate alongside delegates from nations spanning every continent, the Youth Forum offers something that no amount of preparation can replicate — the experience of representing their country on the world stage, in their own country, before the leaders who will gather days later to shape the Commonwealth’s future.
