CHOGM 2022
CHOGM 2022 set to get underway in Rwanda
2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) has gotten underway in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda with African leaders from 54 countries. This is the sixth hosting of the summit of Commonwealth leaders on an African soil, but also the first in four years.
The CHOGM 2022 was originally scheduled for 2020 but has twice been postponed due to COVID-19. The last country to host CHOGM in 2018 was the United Kingdom and the host country for CHOGM 2024 will be announced at this week’s summit.
Themed; ‘Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming,’ deliberations which kicked off Sunday, June 19, with four fora, covering; covering youth, women, business and civil society, will close with the official Retreat for leaders at the Internet Conference Arena on Saturday 25 June.
At the Leaders Retreat, unique to the Commonwealth, Heads of Government meet privately to discuss collaboration on global and Commonwealth priorities.
“Since the last time the Commonwealth family came together for CHOGM in 2018, the onset of COVID-19, new and ongoing conflicts, and the accelerated impact of climate change have fundamentally altered the global landscape and tested our resilience.
” This succession of events has changed lives, livelihoods, communities and economies. We know that in times of crisis, the poor and most vulnerable are disproportionately affected. Many development gains, likewise, have been thrown off track, while others have regressed,” remarked the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland QC ahead of the opening forum.
She said with eight years to go until the Sustainable Development Goals ‘endgame,’ leaders at CHOGM are committed to harnessing lessons learned, working together and taking inspiration from the innovative solutions that emerged over the past few years.
“The Commonwealth is a bedrock for member states, rooted in a shared history, collective aspirations and progressive solutions. At a time when multilateralism is under serious strain, CHOGM offers a vital forum to deliver the objectives of member states and an opportunity to draw upon all the talents of the member states to deliver a smarter, more resilient, prosperous, confident and sustainable Commonwealth,” the Secretary General said.
A Ministerial Meeting for the Commonwealth’s 32 Small Island Developing States is scheduled to hold on June 22. At the event economic vulnerability, climate action and access to finance and debt sustainability are top of the agenda.
The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group which assesses countries at risk of breaching fundamental political values will also meet on 22 June, while on 23 June, Foreign Ministers will convene ahead of the main CHOGM sessions to review the leaders’ agenda and receive outcomes from the four forums for consideration by Heads.
The traditional Commonwealth Sports Breakfast, also on June 23, will showcase preparations for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, which would begin on July 28.
Several side meetings will take place during CHOGM and cover topics including violence against women and girls, climate change, access to justice and sustainable ocean protection and economic development.
The formal Opening Ceremony takes place on June 24 at the Kigali Convention Centre and is followed by closed-door Executive Sessions at which leaders will consider a range of topical issues including post-COVID-19 economic recovery, debt sustainability, climate change, trade and food security.
The Commonwealth comprises 54 independent and equal sovereign states formerly ruled by Great Britain.
