Latest content: Commonwealth Secretariat

Blog by Martin Raiser and Suresh Yadav

Following is the Commonwealth Secretary-General’s, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, statement for Human Rights Day, observed on 10 December.

Following is the Commonwealth Secretary-General’s, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, statement for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, observed on 3 December.

Today at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Apia, Samoa, leaders announced the selection of the Honourable Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, currently Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ghana, as the incoming Secretary-General of the Commonwealth. 

In marking the passing of Sir Shridath Ramphal, the second Commonwealth Secretary-General, who served from 1975 -1990, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, said: 

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, delivered the inaugural Commonwealth Lecture in Barbados, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the modern Commonwealth.

"When Commonwealth countries take collective decisions, it can move the whole world," - Commonwealth Secretary-General 

Rwandan President Paul Kagame lights a memorial flame at the Kigali Genocide Memorial

Today, Rwanda is one of Africa's fast-growing economies and is seen as a model for sustainable growth and resilience. However, thirty years ago, the world’s attention was focused on Rwanda because of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, shocking mass killings where it is estimated that almost a million Rwandans died. 

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, has echoed the concern of His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, after President Nicolás Maduro of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela promulgated the Organic Law for the Defence of Essequiba on 3 April 2024.   

Grenada is known for many things: the beauty of the country, world-renowned for its spices, the cultural richness of its Carnival and the warmth of its people. The country has also played a critical role in the development and strength of the Commonwealth and on the world stage. 

Commenting on the recent decision by the International Court of Justice, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, said:

Speaking on the recent violence in Sierra Leone, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, said:

The Commonwealth Secretary-General the Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland, KC has expressed deep concern at the 21 September decision of the Venezuelan National Assembly to undertake a referendum on the status of the Essequibo region, part of the sovereign territory of the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

An independent study detailing the collective contribution of the 87 non-profit organisations accredited to the Commonwealth was launched last week by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC.

The Commonwealth Ministerial Group on Guyana was convened in New York on 17 September 2023 by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, in accordance with a mandate given by the Commonwealth Heads of Government to monitor “developments in respect of the existing controversy between Guyana and Venezuela.”

The 63rd Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) met in New York this week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss developments in member states.

Award-winning Ugandan-British writer Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi to chair high-profile international judging panel. Prize opens for submissions until 1 November 2023. Entrants can submit stories in 13 languages for the chance to win international recognition and prize money.

The Commonwealth Observer Group has commended the people of Maldives for the manner in which they exercised their right to vote at their presidential elections on 9 September 2023.

A Commonwealth Spokesperson said:

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, has paid a moving tribute to enslaved people from Africa, India and Southeast Asia, known as Maroons, who fought for their freedom and sought shelter in the caves of Le Morne, a basaltic mountain situated on the west coast of Mauritius.