At the Commonwealth leaders’ summit today, which was centered on post-Covid recovery and sustainable development, President Uhuru Kenyatta joined other Heads of Government.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, who spoke in place of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the head of the Commonwealth, presided over the official opening ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which was held at the Kigali Convention Centre.
Prince Charles emphasized the value of the Commonwealth family in his speech at the occasion.
Prince Charles said, “We should never lose sight of the things that do not change: the close and trusted partnership between Commonwealth members; our shared values and goals; and, perhaps most importantly, the strong and enduring connections between the peoples of the Commonwealth which strengthen us all.
Boris Johnson, the prime minister of the United Kingdom, also spoke at the opening ceremony. He claimed the developed world owed it to the Commonwealth to assist in addressing issues like food security and climate change that they were not responsible for.
The Commonwealth Finance Access Hub mobilized more than $38 million for the most vulnerable members, according to Prime Minister Johnson, but he highlighted the need to push for more to be done.
The UK Prime Minister stated that the UK’s initiative, which included $212 million for the Girls’ Education Challenge and was announced at the most recent CHOGM in London in 2018, is now in action in 11 Commonwealth nations, ensuring that girls can receive at least 12 years of high-quality education.
The UK is funding the “She Trades” Commonwealth program, which has already assisted over 3,500 women-owned businesses to become more competitive and generate more than £32 million of sales, because we need to give them the tools they need to play their full part in the economy when they graduate from school, the PM said.
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, the event’s host and the new Commonwealth Chair-in-Office, paid tribute to Her Majesty The Queen for advocating the expansion of the Commonwealth family throughout the course of her 70 years of service.
He named some of the pressing challenges as the grave threat that climate change poses to small islands and poor nations, as well as the need to unleash the potential of new technology to generate jobs for young people.
“The Commonwealth we need is at the center of the world’s difficulties, not on the margins, waiting for things to happen. Our unique strength is to draw attention to issues that could otherwise go unnoticed, according to President Kagame.
According to Patricia Scotland, secretary-general of the Commonwealth, existential threats to humanity are posed by the economic harm caused by COVID, the growing debt, and the accelerating pace of climate change.
“The chance to address these issues is at the forefront of this CHOGM. It won’t be simple. Simply put, the answers won’t come riding up here onto the stage and lay them out for us.
The Commonwealth Secretary-General stated, “We must talk to each other, listen to each other, and contribute everything we have to accomplish development for the 2.5 billion people we—you—represent.”
Later, President Kenyatta participated in the summit’s executive sessions one and two, when the leaders further discussed the Commonwealth’s top issues and re-elected Patricia Scotland as Secretary-General.