2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

Last updated

25th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
CHOGM 2018
CHOGM 2018 logo.png
Host countryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Dates19–20 April 2018 [1]
Venue(s) Buckingham Palace, Lancaster House, and Windsor Castle (retreat)
Cities London and Windsor
Chair Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Follows 2015
Precedes 2022
Website www.chogm2018.org.uk [ dead link ‍]
Key points
Head of the Commonwealth succession; Commonwealth Blue Charter on ocean conservation and plastic waste; trade and investment, Commonwealth Cyber Declaration
Theresa May speaks as chair of the meeting Commonwealth Heads meeting 2018 (40942285303).jpg
Theresa May speaks as chair of the meeting

The 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, also known as CHOGM 2018, was the 25th Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in the United Kingdom. The meeting had been planned to have been held by Vanuatu at the end of 2017, but was moved to the United Kingdom after the impact of Cyclone Pam on the infrastructure of Vanuatu. The meeting was then postponed to April 2018 due to other international commitments. [2]

Contents

The position of Commonwealth Chair-in-Office, held by the government leader of the CHOGM host country, was transferred at the summit from the Prime Minister of Malta to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, who held the post until the 26th CHOGM in 2022. [3]

Agenda

The theme of the summit was "Towards a Common Future". The British hosts set out four main goals for the summit: [1]

Under consideration were: A Commonwealth Blue Charter on ocean governance, a Commonwealth connectivity agenda for trade and investment, a declaration on cybercrime, and revised Commonwealth guidelines on election observation in member countries. [4] [5]

Trade

This was the first CHOGM held following the United Kingdom's decision to withdraw from the European Union, a decision which has resulted in calls for Britain to strengthen its economic ties with and play a greater role in the Commonwealth. [6] The Commonwealth, as of 2018, was responsible for one-tenth of British trade compare to the EU with which the UK currently conducts half of its trade. Intra-Commonwealth trade, overall, is expected to increase by at least 17% to around US$700 billion by 2020. [7]

The British government reportedly hoped to use the CHOGM to open negotiations for expanded trade with Commonwealth nations to replace lost trade with the EU, however, as the summit began The Economist dismissed the belief that the Commonwealth could fill the gap created by Brexit as "an amiable delusion".

Head of the Commonwealth and the Royal Family

The succession of the Headship of the Commonwealth, [8] and the roles of other members of the Royal Family [9] was discussed, and a proposal to nominate Queen Elizabeth II for the Nobel Peace Prize was also expected to feature in discussions. [10]

At a speech welcoming Commonwealth leaders to Buckingham Palace on the first day of the summit, the Queen said "It is my sincere wish that the Commonwealth will continue to offer stability and continuity for future generations, and will decide that one day the Prince of Wales should carry on the important work started by my father in 1949." [11]

On 20 April, the second day of the summit, the Commonwealth leaders agreed that Prince Charles would succeed the Queen as Head of the Commonwealth. [12] [13]

LGBT rights

The British government was accused by LGBT activists of backing away from plans to make LGBT rights in the Commonwealth of Nations an issue during the summit. Homosexuality remains a criminal offence in 37 out of 53 Commonwealth states. LGBT-rights campaigners from the UK and across the Commonwealth picketed Marlborough House, the headquarters of the Commonwealth Secretariat, on 19 April in order to draw attention to the issue. [14] UK Prime Minister Theresa May said in a speech to Commonwealth leaders that she "deeply regrets" Britain's role in having same-sex conduct criminalized in colonial laws that remain in force in many Commonwealth countries, saying of these laws that "They were wrong then and they are wrong now" and that the UK government supports the reform of these laws in former colonies. [15] [16]

Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance

The UK promised to spend £61m to combat the pollution of the world's oceans by plastics and announced that it would ban plastic straws, microbeads, and other waste and to help developing countries curb plastics and other environmental pollutants from contaminating the oceans, and urged other Commonwealth countries to do the same. Five countries have joined the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance: the UK, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Vanuatu and Ghana. [11] [17] [18]

Commonwealth Cyber Declaration

The Commonwealth unanimously adopted the Commonwealth Cyber Declaration with leaders agreeing to work closely to strengthen their cybersecurity frameworks and response mechanisms by 2020. [19]

Participants

Foreign ministers present at CHOGM 2018 Commonwealth Foreign Ministers - 2018 (26673968607).jpg
Foreign ministers present at CHOGM 2018

Of the 53 Commonwealth member countries, 19 were presented by the respective heads of state (1 Sultan and 18 Presidents), 28 countries by their respective heads of government including the host country, 2 by their respective deputy heads of state, 1 by their deputy head of government, 1 by the presiding officer of the national legislature, and remaining 2 by their foreign ministers. [11] [20]

The Commonwealth was represented by the presence of Queen Elizabeth II as Head of the Commonwealth and Charles, Prince of Wales while the Commonwealth Secretariat was represented by the Secretary-General Patricia Scotland.

Outcomes

The leaders issued a Communiqué at the close of the summit in which they:

The leaders also issued a statement announcing their decision that Prince Charles would be the next Head of the Commonwealth. [27]

Commonwealth Forums

Parallel Commonwealth Summit Forums were held at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre from 16 to 19 April, with 5,000 participants attending from government, business, and civil society engaged in Women's, Youth, and Peoples Forums with a Business Forum being held at Guildhall. [28] A joint plenary of all four fora was held for the first time on 17 April. [4] [ needs update ]

The Commonwealth Summit Forums saw participation from a number of Commonwealth heads of government and ministers. UK Prime Minister Theresa May opened the Business Forum on 16 April 2018 [29] and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered a keynote address at the Business Forum Banquet. [30]

Various members of the royal family—including The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall; Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex— hosted and participated in various receptions and events being held as part of the forums or the heads of government meeting itself. [31] [32] Prince Harry, in his new role as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador, opened the Youth Forum telling delegates: "In my new role, I will work to support the Queen, my father the Prince of Wales, and my brother William, all of whom know that young people are the answer to the challenges of today." [33]

On the final day of the meeting, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attended a reception to promote women's empowerment and girls' education. [34]

Related Research Articles

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is a biennial summit meeting of the governmental leaders from all Commonwealth nations. Despite the name, the head of state may be present in the meeting instead of the head of government, especially among semi-presidential states. Every two years the meeting is held in a different member state and is chaired by that nation's respective prime minister or president, who becomes the Commonwealth Chair-in-Office until the next meeting. Queen Elizabeth II, who was the Head of the Commonwealth, attended every CHOGM beginning with Ottawa in 1973 until Perth in 2011, although her formal participation only began in 1997. She was represented by the Prince of Wales at the 2013 meeting as the 87-year-old monarch was curtailing long-distance travel. The Queen attended the 2015 summit in Malta and the 2018 summit in London, but was represented again by the Prince of Wales at the 2022 meeting in Rwanda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Head of the Commonwealth</span> Symbolic head of association of independent states

The Head of the Commonwealth is the ceremonial leader who symbolises "the free association of independent member nations" of the Commonwealth of Nations, an intergovernmental organisation that currently comprises 56 sovereign states. There is no set term of office or term limit and the role itself has no constitutional relevance to any of the member states within the Commonwealth. The position is currently held by King Charles III. Head of the Commonwealth is also a title of the monarch of each of the Commonwealth realms according to the Royal Style and Titles Act.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting</span>

The 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting was the 20th Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in Kampala, Uganda, between 23 November and 25 November 2007, and was hosted by President Yoweri Museveni.

The 1971 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, officially known as the I Commonwealth Heads Meeting, and commonly known as Singapore 1971, was the first Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held from 14 to 22 January 1971 in Singapore, and was hosted by that country's Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew.

The 1997 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting was the 15th Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in Edinburgh, Scotland, between 24 October and 27 October 1997, and hosted by Prime Minister Tony Blair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1973 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting</span>

The 1973 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, officially known as the II Commonwealth Heads Meeting, and commonly known as Ottawa 1973, was the second Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held from 2 to 10 August 1973 in Ottawa, hosted by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. It was the first CHOGM to be attended by the Head of the Commonwealth, Elizabeth II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting</span>

The 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, commonly known as CHOGM 2011, was the 22nd Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. Held in Perth, Western Australia, between 28 and 30 October 2011 and hosted by the Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Africa–United Kingdom relations</span> Bilateral relations

South Africa–United Kingdom relations are the current and historical relationships between the United Kingdom (UK) and the Republic of South Africa. South Africa is the most important trade partner in Africa for the United Kingdom and an important partner for the UK in a number of areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in the Commonwealth of Nations</span>

The majority of the countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, formerly known as the British Commonwealth, still criminalise sexual acts between consenting adults of the same sex and other forms of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression. Homosexual activity remains a criminal offence in 29 of the 56 sovereign states of the Commonwealth; and legal in only 26.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting</span>

The 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting was the 23rd Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from 15 to 17 November 2013. Commonwealth leaders agreed on Sri Lanka as the 2013 host for the meeting when they met in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, in 2009. Sri Lanka, which was originally slated to host the summit in 2011, was accused of committing atrocities during the Sri Lankan civil war and the summit was instead held in Perth, Australia; Colombo was given the 2013 summit instead. The leaders of Canada, Mauritius, and India boycotted the summit, citing alleged human rights violations by Sri Lanka against its Tamil minority. Protests were also banned during the summit. President Mahinda Rajapaksa summarised the summit's events as: "Issues covered in the communique include development, political values, global threats, challenges and Commonwealth cooperation." However, the meeting was overshadowed by controversy over Sri Lanka's human rights record and the alleged war crimes during the final stages of the civil war. This was the first time in 40 years that the Head of the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth II, was not present at the CHOGM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Future Forum</span>

Northern Future Forum is an annual, informal meeting of prime ministers, policy innovators, entrepreneurs and business leaders from the 9 nations of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Initially referred to as the UK Nordic Baltic Summit, the name Northern Future Forum was introduced at the second meeting in Stockholm, 2012. The group had a period of abeyance since the Stavanger meeting in 2016 was postponed following the outcome of the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, and David Cameron subsequently stepping down as UK prime minister, to be succeeded by Theresa May. The summit was reconvened in October 2018 in Oslo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting</span>

The 2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, also known as CHOGM 2015 was the 24th Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in Malta from 27 to 29 November. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena handed the position of Commonwealth Chair-in-Office to Maltese prime minister Joseph Muscat at the meeting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting</span> International summit in Kigali, Rwanda

The 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, also known as CHOGM 2022, was the 26th Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. The meeting was originally scheduled for 26–27 June 2020 in Kigali, Rwanda preceded by various fora between 22 and 25 June, but was postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 31 January 2022, it was announced that the meeting would be held on 24 and 25 June 2022 and the pre-meeting fora held from 20 to 23 June.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Premiership of Theresa May</span> Period of the Government of the United Kingdom from 2016 to 2019

Theresa May's tenure as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom began on 13 July 2016 when she accepted an invitation of Queen Elizabeth II to form a government, succeeding David Cameron, and ended on 24 July 2019 upon her resignation. May's premiership was dominated by Brexit, terrorist attacks in Westminster, the Manchester Arena and London Bridge, the Grenfell Tower fire, and the Salisbury poisonings. As prime minister, May also served simultaneously as First Lord of the Treasury, and as Minister for the Civil Service. She also served as Leader of the Conservative Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brexit negotiations in 2018</span> 2018 EU–UK negotiations regarding Brexit

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megxit</span> 2020 withdrawal from royal duties of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting</span> Diplomatic conference

The 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, also known as CHOGM 2024, was the 27th meeting of the heads of government of the Commonwealth of Nations. The meeting was held in Samoa from 25–26 October 2024 and was preceded by ministerial meetings, fora and side events which had begun on 21 October 2024.

References

  1. 1 2 "PM to call for revitalised Commonwealth at reception ahead of 2018 Heads of Government Meeting – GOV.UK". gov.uk.
  2. ↑ "Britain to host next Commonwealth summit in 2018". Global Post. Agence France-Presse. 28 November 2015. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  3. ↑ "Our History". The Commonwealth. The Commonwealth. 23 May 2013. Archived from the original on 24 November 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  4. 1 2 "CHOGM summit to begin next week". Business Standard. 10 April 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  5. ↑ "Anglican Communion to play active role in next week's Commonwealth leaders' meeting". Anglican Communion News Service. 10 April 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  6. ↑ "Brexit and the Commonwealth – The Commonwealth". thecommonwealth.org. 4 April 2017. Archived from the original on 13 December 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  7. ↑ "Britain hoping for Brexit boost from Commonwealth summit". Free Malaysia Today. Agence France-Presse. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  8. ↑ Landale, James (13 February 2018). "Commonwealth in secret succession plans". BBC News. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  9. ↑ Nikkhah, Roya (18 February 2018). "Prince Harry to take Commonwealth role" . The Times. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  10. ↑ Ilse, Jess (16 April 2018). "What is the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting? (blog)". Royal Central.
  11. 1 2 3 "Commonwealth meeting: Queen hopes Prince Charles will succeed her". BBC News. 19 April 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  12. ↑ "Charles 'to be next Commonwealth head'". BBC News. 20 April 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  13. ↑ "Prince Charles to succeed Queen as Commonwealth head". Sky News. 20 April 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  14. ↑ Quinn, Ben (14 April 2018). "UK rows back on plans to promote gay rights at Commonwealth summit". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  15. ↑ Jain, Sagaree (18 April 2018). "Theresa May 'Deeply Regrets' Colonial Anti-LGBT Laws". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  16. ↑ Crerar, Pippa (17 April 2018). "Theresa May says she deeply regrets Britain's legacy of anti-gay laws". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  17. ↑ "Government promises £61m to tackle scourge of ocean plastic pollution with Commonwealth nations" . The Independent. 15 April 2018. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  18. ↑ "Britain urges Australia and the Commonwealth to tackle plastic waste". ABC News. 20 April 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  19. ↑ "Commonwealth countries adopt Commonwealth Cyber Declaration". 23 April 2018.
  20. ↑ PA (20 April 2018). "Queen winding down Commonwealth duties, suggests Ghana president". bt.com. BT . Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  21. ↑ Lewis, Ben; Elton-Pym, James (16 April 2018). "Who should replace the Queen? Just one topic on the CHOGM agenda". SBS News . Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  22. ↑ "Modi and CHOGM 2018: Reimagining the Commonwealth" . Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  23. ↑ "South Africa riots force president to leave Commonwealth summit". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. 21 April 2018.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Summit Communiqué" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  25. 1 2 Walker, Peter (20 April 2018). "Prince Charles to be next head of Commonwealth". The Guardian.
  26. ↑ CHOGM, CHOGM (31 January 2022). "New date announced for Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting". The Commonwealth. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  27. ↑ Summit website [ permanent dead link ]
  28. ↑ "The Forums". 21 August 2017.
  29. ↑ "May seeks Commonwealth trade boost as final Brexit talks begin". Reuters. 15 April 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  30. ↑ "President Ramaphosa's full speech at the Commonwealth Business Forum".
  31. ↑ Samhan, Jamie (12 April 2018). "Meghan Markle to join Prince Harry at Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings". Royal Central. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  32. ↑ Nicholl, Katie (April 2018). "Meghan Markle takes on a new, and highly unusual, Royal duty". Vanity Fair . Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  33. ↑ Heffer, Greg (16 April 2018). "Cheers as Prince Harry praises Meghan Markle at Commonwealth summit". Sky News. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  34. ↑ Kindelan, Katie; Durand, Carolyn (19 April 2018). "Meghan Markle joins Prince Harry in support of women's empowerment". ABC News . Retrieved 20 April 2018.
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