18 Dec 2009

Summary of key decisions at CHOGM 2009
  
Communique
Communique and declarations issued as 6 separate statements:
1.      CHOGM Communique,
2.      Port of Spain Climate Change Consensus: The Commonwealth Climate Change Declaration,
3.      Trinidad and Tobago Affirmation on Commonwealth Values and Principles,
4.      Declaration of Port of Spain: Partnering for More Equitable and Sustainable Future,
5.      Statement on Commonwealth Action to Combat Non-Communicable Diseases,
6.      Investing in Young People: Declaration on Young People.
 
Rwanda
Rwanda was admitted as the 54th member of the Commonwealth.
 
Statement on Values and Principles
The statement on Values and Principles pulls into one document the Singapore and Harare Declarations, Millbrook Action Programme, Latimer House Principles and Aberdeen Principles. Covers the areas of international peace and security; democracy; human rights; tolerance, respect and understanding; separation of powers; rule of law; freedom of expression.
            The freedom of expression paragraph emphasises “that peaceful, open dialogue and the free flow of information, including through a free, vibrant and professional media, enhance democratic traditions and strengthen democratic processes.”
 
Climate Change
First time non-Commonwealth Heads of Government have attended an Executive Session. President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen and UN President Ban Ki-moon attended a Special Executive Session to urge Commonwealth Heads to unite over climate change a week before the Copenhagen global summit.
The two key points of the Climate Change Declaration:
·        Agreement to support a legally and operationally binding agreement at the Copenhagen climate change summit, backing Rasmussen’s efforts;
·        Backing for a proposal for a Fast Start (or Launch) Fund of $10 billion annually, at least 10% of which would be for vulnerable island states and low-lying coastal areas.
 
Environment
The Secretary-General was asked to extend his Good Offices to the environment.
 
CMAG
Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) is to look at strengthening itself. Group’s membership has been re-constituted for next 2 years: Australia, Bangladesh, Ghana, Jamaica, Maldives, Namibia, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Trinidad and Tobago.
            CMAG to form working group of own members to refine its work.
 
Zimbabwe
For the first time since Zimbabwe left the Commonwealth in 2003, Commonwealth Heads of Government issued a statement looking “forward to the conditions being created for the return of Zimbabwe to the Commonwealth.”
            (A similar sentence was included in the Commonwealth People’s Forum statement).
 
New Small States Office
A second Commonwealth small states office (first is in New York) to assist small member countries, which cannot afford separate offices to service their UN delegations, will be set up in Geneva. Heads suggested a co-operative venture with La Francophonie. Reports say India may help to pay for this office.
 
Network of National Election Management Bodies
A network of National Election Management Bodies is to assist election commissions access best experience practice and act as a peer network to strengthen professionalism of commissions and enhance capacity of member countries to hold credible elections.
 
Reform of Commonwealth Institutions
An Eminent Persons Group will be established to recommend reform of Commonwealth institutions and streamline them into a more effective framework. It will also look at the format, frequency and content of ministerial meetings.
 
Health
Agreement on a Commonwealth Health Compact calling on donor countries to finance health in low-income developing countries, and for the latter to work towards universal access to health.
            Statement issued on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD). Heads called for a summit on NCDs to be held in 2011.
 
Commonwealth Partnership Platform Portal (CP3)
Heads supported the proposal and pledged to share ideas, best practices and deliver practical support, and to share data to inform policies in sectors such as health, education, poverty, and to strengthen linkages between research and policy.
 
Science, Technology, Innovation
Secretariat and Commonwealth Business Council to identify mechanisms for financing research to advance development and adaption of new technologies and assist members gain skills to access environmental and debt funds.
  
Commonwealth Youth Credit Initiative
Heads asked that CYCI be turned into an ‘integrated, holistic enterprise development programme’ for skills development, funding and mentorship. It mandated it to engage with a wide range of funders and partners. Support already received from African and Asian banks.
 
Commonwealth Secretariat
Heads called for a further strengthening of the Secretariat’s governance. They agreed a revised scale of assessed contributions for the Secretariat budget to be implemented from 2009/2010.
 
Future CHOGMs
2011 – Australia (probably Perth)
2013 – Sri Lanka
2015 – Mauritius

20 Nov 09

Commonwealth Association chairperson Patsy Robertson and ExCo secretary Cheryl Dorall are among the delegates to the Commonwealth Peoples Forum (23-26 Nov) and CSO delegates to CHOGM (27-29 Nov) in Trinidad.