Patricia Scotland, the Commonwealth’s Secretary-General, has been supported to serve a second term by the Commonwealth of Dominica, the country of her birth.
As is customary, the leaders of all 54 Commonwealth countries will meet in June at their biennial summit in Rwanda, to discuss among other things, the reappointment of the Commonwealth Secretary-General.
As a result of the change of date for the convening of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London in 2018, Heads have extended the tenure of the Secretary-General for three months to ensure there is no gap in the currency of the office of Secretary-General until the meeting in Kigali.
Running from June 22 to 28, CHOGM 2020 will be held under the theme: ‘Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming’.
Leaders will discuss how the modern Commonwealth, with its network of more than 80 organisations, can connect and innovate to transform the whole family into societies underpinned by the values of democracy, multilateralism, sustainable development, the protection of the environment, and the empowerment of women and young people.
Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said: “I am proud to be the sixth Secretary-General and indeed the first woman to hold this role.
“The Commonwealth has proven itself as a vibrant and vital body that delivers on the aspirations of its 2.4 billion people, 60 per cent of whom are under the age of 30. The Commonwealth’s opportunity, hope and common sense are desperately needed. The world needs the multilateralism of the Commonwealth which provides a global voice, particularly for its small member states.”
Secretary-General Scotland said she continues to be committed to the reform mandate. Earlier this week the Commonwealth posted audited statements for the 2018/19 financial year.
External auditors have given the organisation a clean bill of financial health for the 10th consecutive year.