The 27th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2024) or the Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations was held in Apia, Samoa from 24th to 26th October 2024. Samoa hosted the meeting with support from Australia.
- The theme of CHOGM 2024 is ‘One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Common Wealth’.
- 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the Commonwealth and this marks the first CHOGM held in a Pacific island country. This also marks His Majesty King Charles III’s first CHOGM as Head of the Commonwealth.
- The Indian delegation was led by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs(MoPA), Government of India(GoI) participated in the Executive Session of CHOGM 2024.
Points to Note:
i.The 26th CHOGM took place on 20-25 June, 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda.
ii.The 28th CHOGM will be held in Antigua and Barbuda in 2026.
About CHOGM :
CHOGM is convened every 2 years by the Commonwealth countries and organisations.
i.The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) is represented at CHOGM by Commonwealth Parliamentarians from different jurisdictions and the CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg.
ii.The CHOGM brought together delegations from more than 50 countries from Africa, the Caribbean and Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific to discuss the role of Commonwealth members in addressing global challenges.
iii.The week-long programme of high-level side events, Ministers’ meetings and forums, including the Commonwealth Youth Forum, the Commonwealth Women’s Forum, the Commonwealth Business Forum and the Commonwealth People’s Forum, held in the lead-up to CHOGM 2024.
Commonwealth Countries Adopt first Ocean Declaration
Commonwealth countries adopted their 1st ocean declaration during the CHOGM 2024 as calls from some of Britain’s former colonies for reparatory justice for the trans-Atlantic slave trade grew louder.
i.The ‘Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration’ calls on all 56 Commonwealth nations to protect the ocean in the face of severe climate, pollution and over-exploitation.
ii.The Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration for One Resilient Common Future is the culmination of many years of visionary and collective action.
iii.In 2018, Commonwealth leaders agreed to work together towards a sustainable ocean through the adoption of the Commonwealth Blue Charter.
Key aspects :
i.Recognition of national maritime boundaries in the face of sea-level rise.
ii.Protection of at least 30% of the ocean and restoring at least 30% of degraded marine ecosystems by 2030.
iii.Urgent finalisation of the Global Plastics Treaty.
iv.Ratification of the high-seas biodiversity Agreement on Marine Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement).
v.Development and implementation of coastal climate adaptation plans and strategies, including vulnerability assessments and nature-based solutions, such as blue carbon.
vi.Stepped up support for a sustainable blue economy with sustainable ocean plans, recognising the need for 100% management of national waters
vii.Reduction of emissions from global maritime shipping
viii.Enhanced marine renewable energy targets to meet the global climate goal of tripling renewable energy capacity, agreed as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC) Global Stocktake in Dubai, United Arab Emirates(UAE) in 2023.
Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey Appointed Commonwealth Secretary General
Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Foreign Minister of Ghana, was appointed as the new Commonwealth Secretary-General(SG), CPA on the last day of CHOGM 2024.
- Botchwey takes over from Patricia Scotland(Dominica), who has held the position since 2016.
Note: The SG is nominated by Commonwealth leaders and can serve a maximum of 2 terms of 4 years each.
About Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey:
i.Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey has been serving as the Foreign Minister of Ghana since 2017.
ii.She also chaired the council of ministers of the 15 member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
iii.She has also led Ghana’s two-year tenure on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) which ended in December 2023.
About Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA):
It was previously known as the Empire Parliamentary Association.
Secretary-General – Stephen Twigg
Headquarters – London, the United Kingdom(UK)
Founded – 1911
