COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING

t gives me great pleasure to introduce to discrimination on the basis of gender) this special FIRST report on and the of 1989 the Commonwealth to mark the (environmental sustainability). These Commonwealth Heads of Government objectives were reinforced by the Harare Imeeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka. We are Declaration of 1991. especially grateful to the Commonwealth The Commonwealth represents a Secretary General, H.E. Kamalesh Sharma significant trade bloc with over US$3 for the important and personal article which trillion of trade undertaken every year. he has contributed to this publication. The Commonwealth’s combined GDP The Prime Minister, David Cameron, now amounts to over US$ 13 trillion and recently welcomed the Secretary General to the middle class of the Commonwealth Downing Street and reaffirmed his support has increased by nearly one billion people for the Commonwealth and the importance in the last two decades – constituting of upholding its shared values of peace, an important and growing consumer democracy, free trade and human rights. market. There is therefore an important The Commonwealth leaders meet in Sri economic dimension to the success of the Lanka at CHOGM at a time of significant Commonwealth and this will be the subject global economic and political challenges. of the Commonwealth Business Forum Introduction by The theme of this meeting ‘Growth with taking place alongside CHOGM. Equity; Inclusive Development’ is therefore It was Lord Rosebery who in 1884, The Rt Hon Lord Hurd especially apt. CHOGM represents an described the changing British Empire as a of Westwell ch cbe pc exceptional opportunity for Commonwealth ‘’. One hundred leaders to discuss global and Commonwealth and twenty nine years later, there is a great Chairman of the FIRST issues, and to agree on collective policies opportunity for the Commonwealth to assert Advisory Council and initiatives. and renew itself as a force for democracy and This year has been an especially important prosperity, and to speak out clearly on the and significant one for the Commonwealth, issues of our time. with Her Majesty The Queen signing the The Commonwealth’s connections, Commonwealth Charter on 1st March, 2013. economic potential and commitment to For the first time in its 64 year history, the free trade and democracy can contribute Commonwealth now has a single document significantly to the prosperity of its members. setting out the organisation’s core values. The British Government has made clear This charter is an important element in the its hopes that the Commonwealth will Commonwealth’s modernisation process. take a leading role by promoting trade The Commonwealth Charter underlines the liberalisation, resisting protectionism and organisation’s distinctive role in international contributing further to development goals. affairs. We welcome the particular emphasis This year’s CHOGM will give us all the given to this role by our Foreign Secretary, opportunity to study developments in the William Hague. Its objectives were outlined Commonwealth and to understand better in the 1971 which the wide range of opportunities offered by committed the Commonwealth to instituting this unique gathering in Colombo. world peace, promoting representative We hope that this official publication democracy, individual liberty and free trade, produced by FIRST will underline the pursuing equality and opposing racism as well great potential of the Commonwealth as fighting poverty, ignorance and disease. and help promote its key objectives at the Additional objectives were added by the Commonwealth Heads of Government Lusaka Declaration of 1979 (opposition Meeting hosted by Sri Lanka. F 7

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