Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma on 26 September 2011 issued a message of condolence following the death of Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, who also served on the Commonwealth Commission on Respect and Understanding.
Mr Sharma said: "We offer sincere condolences to the family of Wangari Maathai, and to the people of Kenya. As an activist on both environmental and social issues, Professor Maathai epitomised the Commonwealth theme for 2011 'Women as Agents of Change'. We pay tribute to her many abiding contributions and achievements."