Andy Burnham will on Monday fly to Antigua and Barbuda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), where talks about the issue of slavery are likely to dominate.
The summit, which King Charles III will also attend, runs from Sunday until Wednesday in the capital St John's.
The UK, Australia, New Zealand, India and Canada are among the more than 50 leaders of Commonwealth nations scheduled to attend, along with officials from Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates.
In the lead-up, some Caribbean nations have made renewed calls for Britain to apologise for its role in selling enslaved people for profit, and for reparations.
Burnham expressed his "sorrow and regret for the pain and suffering of so many millions", but, in keeping with previous governments, has rejected calls for financial compensation.
"We are offering a structured dialogue with those affected by the trans-Atlantic slave trade," he wrote in The Guardian.
"Listening to calls for a formal apology on behalf of the British state will form an important part of this process and I am open to them."
Ruling out considering reparations, Burnham wrote: "I do not think that British people today can be held liable for historical wrongs, however heinous, that happened in a different age under different laws and in which they played no personal part."
He said he would instead seek to launch a drive on debt-servicing to help countries repay over a longer time period with better rates.
The issue of reparations also dominated the last CHOGM summit in Samoa in 2024, even as then-prime minister Keir Starmer insisted it was not on the UK's agenda, despite calls from Caribbean and African member states for discussions on the issue.
Other than slavery, the 2026 summit will seek to strengthen ties during a time of global political upheaval.
"We're looking at issues like conflict, economic shocks, rising costs, climate change, trade, weaponisation of tariffs; and all of this hitting directly the pockets of our people," Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey said.
She said leaders representing 2.7 billion people would look at how to attract investment and reduce barriers to intra-Commonwealth trade.
US President Donald Trump has imposed the highest import duties on US trading partners since the Great Depression, although rates have fluctuated amid legal challenges.
Botchwey said creating stronger economies was essential given the trade wars.
"It's an opportunity we cannot miss," she said.
The King arrived in the Caribbean nation on Friday before his Tuesday summit opening address.
Among other issues, Australian leader Anthony Albanese is set to discuss tightening rules around British backpackers coming to Australia when he meets Burnham.
with AP and AAP
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