AGP Executive Report

Regional Air Travel: Antigua and Barbuda PM Gaston Browne renewed calls for an OECS-owned regional airline, arguing delays and cancellations are disrupting travel and proposing joint government ownership with private commercial management. Central Banking & Development: He also highlighted ECCB approval to use dormant bank account funds for regional projects while protecting depositors’ rights, alongside reported ECCB profit of EC$121.6m for 2025–26. Tax Tech for CARICOM: CARICOM and Guyana will host the 27th COTA General Assembly and Technical Conference (27–31 July) in Georgetown, with a theme focused on “Smart, Data-Driven and AI-Enabled” tax administration. Montserrat Research Focus: Montserrat’s Ministry of Health will hold its 4th Annual Research Day on 29 July (“Evidence in Action”), covering mental health, NCDs, vaccine hesitancy, antibiotic resistance, prostate cancer, and elder care. Scholarships: Three Montserratians received Chevening Scholarships for 2026/27 to pursue master’s degrees in economics, banking/finance, and related fields. AI & Society: A report warns AI-driven search and bot traffic could undermine the open web’s business model, as more users stay in AI modes instead of visiting websites. Community Event: The Virtual Island Summit returns 15–17 Sept 2026, with a three-day arc from adapting to change to mobilising action.

Regional Air Travel: Antigua and Barbuda PM Gaston Browne renewed calls for an OECS-owned regional airline, arguing delays and cancellations are disrupting travel across the Eastern Caribbean, and proposing joint government ownership with private commercial management. ECCB Finance: Browne also highlighted ECCB Monetary Council approval to use dormant bank account funds for regional development while protecting depositors’ rights, alongside reported ECCB profit of EC$121.6m for 2025–26. Island Climate & Systems Planning: The Virtual Island Summit returns Sept 15–17, 2026 with a free, three-day program on adapting to change, transforming systems, and mobilising action for island communities. Montserrat Research Focus: Montserrat’s Ministry of Health and Social Services will host its 4th Annual Research Day July 29, “Evidence in Action,” covering mental health, NCDs, vaccine hesitancy, antibiotic resistance, prostate cancer, and care for older persons. Local Talent Abroad: Three Montserratians won Chevening Scholarships for 2026/27, funding master’s study in economics/finance and banking/finance with plans to return and support island development. AI & the Web: A report warns AI-driven search and “AI Mode” are shifting internet traffic toward non-human users, threatening the sustainability of the open web.

AI & Search: A new report warns that more web traffic is becoming non-human as AI Overviews and “AI Mode” keep users inside chat, threatening the open-web business model as bots consume ads and AI-generated sites grow. Health Research in Montserrat: The Ministry of Health and Social Services will hold its 4th Annual Research Day on July 29, “Evidence in Action,” with talks on mental health, noncommunicable diseases, vaccine hesitancy, antibiotic resistance, prostate cancer, and care for older persons. Regional Tax Tech: CARICOM and Guyana’s tax authority are set to host the 27th COTA General Assembly and Technical Conference (July 27–31) on “Smart, Data-Driven and AI-Enabled” tax administration, with a livestream for the opening. Education & Scholarships: Three Montserratians—Alverna Weekes, Denecia Furlonge, and Dr. Georgette Skerritt—win Chevening Scholarships for 2026/27 to study in the UK. Energy & Policy: A Caribbean-focused piece argues energy dependence on fossil fuels still shapes the region’s economy and highlights past renewable setbacks. Local Mobility Note: A passport roundup lists 44 visa-free destinations for Nigerian passport holders, including Montserrat. Community & Culture: Festilumi returns to Montreal with a redesigned 1.5 km light trail and new themed worlds, plus a Montserrat-linked cricket remembrance and local radio birthday coverage.

AI & the Web: A new report warns that AI-driven search and “AI Mode” keep users inside chatbots, with non-human traffic rising fast—raising concerns that the open web’s ad-funded model may become unsustainable. Health Research in Montserrat: The Ministry of Health and Social Services will host its 4th Annual Research Day on July 29, “Evidence in Action,” with talks on mental health, noncommunicable diseases, vaccine hesitancy, antibiotic resistance, prostate cancer, and elder care. Regional Tax Tech: CARICOM and Guyana’s tax authority are set for the 27th COTA General Assembly (July 27–31) in Georgetown, focused on “Smart, Data-Driven and AI-Enabled” tax administration, with OECD-linked discussions. Education Boost: Three Montserratians—Alverna Weekes, Denecia Furlonge, and Dr. Georgette Skerritt—win Chevening Scholarships for 2026/27 to study in the UK and return with skills for local priorities. Energy & Water Reality Check: A regional look at how Caribbean energy systems still rely heavily on fossil fuels, with past renewable and hydro efforts shaped by water reliability and long-term planning.

Regional Energy Reality Check: A new look at Caribbean power shows how fossil fuels still dominate (up to ~90% of energy use), despite past renewable targets and costly lessons from hydro projects in places like St. Vincent and Dominica. Tax Tech & AI in CARICOM: Guyana will host the 27th COTA General Assembly (27–31 July) with a “smart, data-driven and AI-enabled” theme, focusing on how tech and analytics can boost compliance and taxpayer services, with CARICOM and OECD-linked partners involved. AI + Nuclear Risk Debate: A push for an international treaty is gaining attention after Nobel laureates and others backed the “Rome Declaration,” calling for bans on autonomous systems reaching nuclear launches. Montserrat Education Boost: Three Montserratians win Chevening Scholarships for 2026/27, studying economics/finance and banking/finance in the UK with plans to return and support local priorities. Travel & Mobility: Nigeria’s passport ranking drops to 90th in the Henley index, but holders still get visa-free or similar access to 44 destinations, including Montserrat. Local Talent Spotlight: Freedom FM 106.5 celebrates Michelle “Sweet Sister Sensia” Greenaway-Stokes, highlighting her ongoing influence in Caribbean media. Legal Process (UK): A practical guide outlines how civil litigation works in England and Wales, including the High Court and its specialist divisions. Culture Note: A remembrance of cricket legend Sir Garfield Sobers ties sport to Caribbean identity and independence-era confidence.

Regional Energy Shift: A look at how Caribbean power systems are still dominated by fossil fuels despite long-running renewable targets, with past hydro projects in places like St. Vincent and Dominica showing how water reliability can make “green” plans fail fast. Tax Tech & AI: CARICOM and Guyana are gearing up for the 27th COTA General Assembly and Technical Conference (27–31 July) with a focus on “smart, data-driven and AI-enabled” tax administration, plus a regional tax-and-development meeting with OECD partners. AI + Nuclear Ethics: A new push led by Nobel laureates and AI scientists calls for an international treaty to ban autonomous systems from accessing nuclear launches, arguing human dignity and restraint must guide tech in conflict zones. Montserrat Mobility: Nigeria’s passport update highlights visa-free access for 44 destinations, including Montserrat, in the latest Henley Passport Index release. Local Talent Pipeline: Three Montserratians win Chevening Scholarships for 2026/27, studying economics/finance and banking/finance in the UK with plans to return and support island priorities.

AI & Ethics: Nobel laureates and tech leaders signed the Rome Declaration urging a treaty to ban autonomous systems from accessing nuclear launches, arguing human dignity must not be outsourced to AI. Regional Tech for Governance: CARICOM tax chiefs meet in Georgetown (27–31 July) to push “smart, data-driven and AI-enabled” tax administration, with media invited to the 27 July opening ceremony livestream. Health Research in Montserrat: The Ministry of Health and Social Services hosts its 4th Annual Research Day on 29 July, “Evidence in Action,” featuring local talks on mental health, vaccine hesitancy, antibiotic resistance, prostate cancer, and care for older persons. Local Talent & Education: Three Montserratians—Alverna Weekes, Denecia Furlonge, and Dr. Georgette Skerritt—win Chevening Scholarships for 2026/27 to study in the UK and return to support island priorities. AI Search Reality Check: A report highlights how AI Overviews and AI Mode keep users inside Google’s ecosystem, raising concerns that non-human traffic could make the open web less sustainable. Mobility Note: Nigeria’s passport ranks 90th in the Henley Passport Index with visa-free access to 44 destinations, including Montserrat.

AI & Ethics: Nobel laureates and tech figures back the “Rome Declaration” calling for a treaty to ban autonomous systems from accessing nuclear launch decisions, arguing human dignity must not be outsourced to machines. Health Research in Montserrat: The Ministry of Health and Social Services will hold its 4th Annual Research Day on July 29, “Evidence in Action,” with talks on mental health, noncommunicable diseases, vaccine hesitancy, antibiotic resistance, prostate cancer, and care for older persons. Regional Tech for Tax: CARICOM’s 27th COTA General Assembly and Technical Conference in Georgetown (July 27–31) spotlights smart, data-driven, AI-enabled tax administration with OECD-linked sessions. AI Search Disruption: A report warns that AI-driven search experiences are shifting more web traffic to non-human interactions, threatening the open web’s ad-funded model. Montserrat Connections: A Chevening update notes three Montserratians (including Alverna Weekes, Denecia Furlonge, and Dr. Georgette Skerritt) winning 2026/27 scholarships, while a visa-free travel list includes Montserrat among destinations Nigerians can access without prior visas. Local Spotlight: Freedom FM 106.5 celebrates Michelle “Sweet Sister Sensia” Greenaway-Stokes as “Queen of the Airwaves.” Sports & Culture: Tributes continue for cricket legend Sir Garfield Sobers, linking his sporting legacy to Caribbean confidence and sovereignty.

AI & Society: A new wave of concern says AI-driven search and “AI mode” are shifting more web traffic to non-human flows, threatening the open web’s ad-funded model as more sites are AI generated and AI-consumed. Ethics in Tech: A group of Nobel laureates, AI scientists, and religious leaders backed the Rome Declaration calling for an international treaty to ban autonomous systems from accessing nuclear launches, arguing the risk is real enough to act on. Health Research in Montserrat: The Ministry of Health and Social Services will host its 4th Annual Research Day on July 29, “Evidence in Action,” with talks on mental health services, noncommunicable diseases, vaccine hesitancy, antibiotic resistance, prostate cancer, and care for older persons. Regional Tech for Governance: CARICOM tax administrators meet in Guyana July 27–31 for COTA’s 27th General Assembly on “Smart, Data-Driven and AI-Enabled” tax administration, with media invited to the opening ceremony and livestream. Biotech Supply Chain: DNA Script signed a distribution deal with Imperial Life Sciences to expand access to its SYNTAX programmable DNA synthesis platform across India. Education & Talent: Three Montserratians won Chevening Scholarships for 2026/27, pursuing master’s degrees in economics/finance and banking/finance.

AI & Nuclear Disarmament: Nobel laureates, AI scientists, and religious leaders signed the “Rome Declaration” urging an international treaty to ban autonomous systems from accessing nuclear launches, warning that AI-linked escalation risks aren’t theoretical. Local Health Research: Montserrat’s Ministry of Health and Social Services will host its 4th Annual Research Day on July 29 (“Evidence in Action: Advancing Health Through Research”), with talks on mental health services, noncommunicable diseases, vaccine hesitancy, antibiotic resistance, prostate cancer, and older persons’ care. AI Search & Bots: A new report highlights how AI Overviews and AI Mode keep users inside Google’s ecosystem, while non-human traffic rises—raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of the open web. Regional Tax Tech: CARICOM tax administrators meet in Georgetown (July 27–31) to discuss “smart, data-driven and AI-enabled” tax administration, focusing on compliance, taxpayer services, and revenue mobilisation. Biotech Access in India: DNA Script expanded its SYNTAX platform distribution in India via Imperial Life Sciences, aiming to speed up on-demand DNA synthesis for researchers.

AI & Nuclear Ethics: Nobel laureates and tech figures signed the Rome Declaration urging an international ban on autonomous systems accessing nuclear launches, arguing existential AI risks aren’t far-fetched. AI & the Web Economy: A report warns AI Overviews and AI Mode are keeping more people inside AI chats, pushing non-human traffic above half and threatening the sustainability of the open web. Health Research in Montserrat: The Ministry of Health and Social Services will host its 4th Annual Research Day (July 29) on “Evidence in Action,” covering mental health, noncommunicable diseases, vaccine hesitancy, antibiotic resistance, prostate cancer, and elder care. Biotech Access: DNA Script expanded its India reach via a distributor deal with Imperial Life Sciences to broaden on-demand enzymatic DNA synthesis for researchers. Regional Tech Governance: CARICOM tax administrators meet in Georgetown (July 27–31) to discuss “smart, data-driven and AI-enabled” tax administration. Science & Mobility (Montserrat): Nigeria’s passport update lists Montserrat among visa-free destinations. Circular Economy: Mexico’s Recycling Leaders Forum highlighted circular-economy policy and bottle-to-bottle PET recycling systems.

Education & Scholarships: Three Montserratians—Alverna Weekes, Denecia Furlonge, and Dr. Georgette Skerritt—have won Chevening Scholarships for 2026/27, heading to UK universities for master’s study in economics/finance and related fields, with plans to return and support island priorities. Health Research: Montserrat’s Ministry of Health and Social Services will hold its 4th Annual Research Day on Wed, July 29 (9AM), themed “Evidence in Action,” featuring talks on mental health services, noncommunicable diseases, vaccine hesitancy, antibiotic resistance, prostate cancer, and care for older persons, streamed via YouTube and Facebook. Travel & Mobility: Nigeria’s passport ranks 90th in the Henley Passport Index (July 2026), with visa-free or similar access to 44 destinations, including Montserrat. AI & the Web: A report highlights growing “AI mode” use and non-human web traffic, warning that search and ad-driven funding for websites could become harder to sustain as bots consume more content. Regional Tech & Policy: CARICOM tax administrators meet in Georgetown (July 27–31) to discuss “smart, data-driven and AI-enabled” tax administration, alongside OECD-linked talks on tax and development.

Health Research in Montserrat: The Ministry of Health and Social Services will host its 4th Annual Research Day on July 29, 9AM, themed “Evidence in Action,” with talks on mental health services, noncommunicable diseases, vaccine hesitancy, antibiotic resistance, prostate cancer, and care for older persons, plus live-streaming via the GOM Information Unit YouTube and the ministry’s Facebook. AI and the Web’s Business Model: A new report highlights how AI-driven search experiences and bot traffic are reshaping internet use, with claims that non-human traffic is now a major share of web activity—raising concerns about the sustainability of the open web. Regional Tax Tech and AI: CARICOM tax administrators meet in Georgetown, Guyana (July 27–31) to discuss “Future-Ready CARICOM Tax Administration,” focusing on smart, data-driven, AI-enabled approaches to compliance and revenue collection. Biotech Access Boost: DNA Script expands India access to its SYNTAX on-demand DNA synthesis platform via a distributor agreement with Imperial Life Sciences. Circular Economy Momentum: Mexico’s Recycling Leaders Forum 2026 spotlights the new General Law of Circular Economy and advanced PET bottle-to-bottle systems, including traceability and large-scale investment. OECS Air Cargo Plan: A concept note proposes building an air cargo distribution hub at Saint Lucia’s Hewanorra International Airport to speed logistics across OECS members, including Montserrat. Caribbean Decolonisation Push: CARICOM’s reparation proposal urges Britain to relinquish territories, naming Montserrat among places where the colonial system is still “hegemonic.” Montserrat Volcano Legacy: A tribute to Geoff Wadge recalls his prescient 1988 Soufrière Hills hazard work for Montserrat and the UK, tied to the volcano’s historic eruption in 1995.

Health Research: Montserrat’s Ministry of Health and Social Services will host its 4th Annual Research Day on Wednesday, July 29 (9AM), themed “Evidence in Action: Advancing Health Through Research,” featuring talks on mental health services, noncommunicable diseases, vaccine hesitancy, antibiotic resistance, prostate cancer, and care for older persons, with live viewing via the GOM Information Unit YouTube and the ministry’s Facebook. AI & the Web: A report warns that AI-driven search and “AI Mode” keep users from the open web, with non-human traffic rising and more sites being AI generated—raising concerns for the sustainability of internet publishing. Regional Tax Tech: CARICOM tax administrators meet in Georgetown, Guyana (July 27–31) to discuss “Future-Ready CARICOM Tax Administration” with smart, data-driven, AI-enabled approaches to compliance and revenue. Biotech Access: DNA Script expands India access to its SYNTAX on-demand DNA synthesis platform via a distributor deal with Imperial Life Sciences. Circular Economy: Mexico’s recycling push highlights new circular economy rules and bottle-to-bottle traceability models, with lessons for the region. Logistics for OECS: A concept note proposes building an air cargo distribution hub at Saint Lucia’s Hewanorra International Airport to speed shipments across OECS territories, including Montserrat.

AI & Web Sustainability: A new report warns that AI Overviews and “AI Mode” are keeping people inside chatbots instead of clicking through to websites, with Cloudflare estimating that more than half of internet traffic is now non-human—pushing ad revenue toward bots and threatening the free, open web. Regional Tax Tech: CARICOM tax administrators meet in Georgetown, Guyana (27–31 July) to discuss “smart, data-driven and AI-enabled” tax administration, including how advanced analytics and AI can improve compliance and taxpayer services. Biotech Access: DNA Script expands in India via a distributor deal with Imperial Life Sciences to bring its SYNTAX on-demand DNA synthesis platform to researchers seeking faster access to single-stranded DNA. Circular Economy: Mexico’s recycling push highlights new circular-economy law and bottle-to-bottle PET systems, with traceability and large-scale investment framed as competitiveness drivers. OECS Logistics Planning: A concept note backs an air cargo distribution hub at Saint Lucia’s Hewanorra International Airport to speed shipments across OECS members and territories. Sargassum Disposal: An analyst argues Antigua and Barbuda should pursue an OECS joint approach to sargassum repurposing, since small islands lack the scale and research funding alone. Caricom Reparations: CARICOM’s “Ten Point Plan” urges Britain to relinquish territories, naming places including Montserrat in a claim that colonial arrangements still constrain residents.

Biotech Access: DNA Script is expanding on-demand enzymatic DNA synthesis in India via a distributor deal with Imperial Life Sciences, bringing its SYNTAX platform for faster, flexible single-stranded DNA supply. Regional Digital Tax Tech: CARICOM’s tax administrators are set to meet in Georgetown for COTA’s conference on “smart, data-driven and AI-enabled” revenue systems, with tech, analytics, and AI aimed at boosting compliance and taxpayer services. Circular Economy & Recycling: Mexico’s Recycling Leaders Forum highlights how the new General Law of Circular Economy is accelerating bottle-to-bottle PET systems, including traceability and large-scale investment. Regional Logistics Planning: A concept note proposes an air cargo distribution hub at Saint Lucia’s Hewanorra International Airport to speed shipments across OECS members and territories, including Montserrat. Sargassum Disposal Strategy: An analyst argues Antigua and Barbuda should pursue an OECS-linked approach to safely repurpose sargassum, since small islands lack the scale and research funding alone. Montserrat Public Service: Montserrat appoints Paula Simone Atkinson as the new Chief Human Resources Officer on a three-year contract starting July 15, 2026, with a focus on workforce planning and digital transformation. Cricket & Culture: A remembrance piece marks the death of Sir Garfield Sobers, praising his sporting impact and broader Caribbean confidence during decolonisation.