Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini of Swaziland has said his country is committed to upholding Commonwealth values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
Speaking at an official function during Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma’s recent two-day visit to the country, Mr Dlamini said: “We do take our membership [in the Commonwealth] seriously and seek at all times to respect and enhance the fundamental Commonwealth values, as well as implementing the resolutions of Commonwealth Heads of Government.”
Prime Minister Dlamini said Swaziland was grateful for the “suitably productive” technical assistance the Commonwealth had provided the Kingdom in many areas.
“The Commonwealth, through its Secretariat, has been most generous in its assistance in various areas, including external training for Swazis, peer education on HIV, drafting of legislation, support to our judiciary, instruction of performance management and the development of e-government,” Mr Dlamini said.
He added: “You also assisted us in our earlier electoral work, and we would appreciate further assistance in 2013, when we hold our next round of national elections.”
Mr Sharma said his visit to the Kingdom had given him a deeper appreciation and substantial first-hand understanding of Swaziland’s national challenges and priorities.
“We are committed to working in support of the Commonwealth’s values and Swaziland’s national priorities with vigour, and in particular, to support its efforts to build consensus and become a more resilient, democratic and prosperous society,” the Secretary-General said.
