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2011 CHOGM Quotes

Strength of the Commonwealth

“This River Red Gum tree will always be like the Commonwealth – strong, sturdy and always flourishing.”

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma at a tree planting ceremony on 24 October 2011at Kings Park, Perth, venue of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

Commonwealth values

“This meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government will strive to ensure that the Commonwealth is relevant for the future and that we find new ways of pursuing those values of the Commonwealth into the future.”

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard speaking to the media after the launch of the Commonwealth Youth Forum in Fremantle, Australia, on 24 October 2011.

Young people

“Young people are our source of hope and inspiration for the challenges of tomorrow. The future of our world as well as the future of the Commonwealth will be shaped by you.”

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard at the launch of the Commonwealth Youth Forum in Fremantle, Australia, on 24 October 2011.

Young people

“Be active. Let your voice be heard. And be informed by the values we hold dear as a Commonwealth. Those defining values of fairness, democracy, equality and opportunity for all. We call these Commonwealth values. But in truth, they are human values.Values that draw from us dreams of a better future; that draw us together in idealism.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard at the launch of the Commonwealth Youth Forum in Fremantle, Australia, on 24 October 2011.

Governance

“Governance and the values associated with good governance played a very important part in redefining the modern Commonwealth and making it what it is today, an association marked by respect for the rule of law, democratic practice, separation of powers and mixed market economies. The Commonwealth is a successful association ideally suited to the globalised economy, with its English language and shared institutional history. The relevance of the modern Commonwealth lies in its potential to leverage economic opportunities and to generate jobs, income and sustainable growth.”

Dr Mohan Kaul, Director-General, Commonwealth Business Council, at the launch of the Commonwealth Business Forum in Perth on 25 October 2011.

Business in the Commonwealth

“Commonwealth businesses are world leaders in sectors such as ICT, banking and financial services, energy, manufacturing and agriculture. The Commonwealth is now a grouping of mature market economies and English-speaking democracies. It is time for us to take advantage of the Commonwealth’s past successes and leverage them alongside the ‘Commonwealth Factor’ of common systems of government, language and business practices.”

Dr Mohan Kaul, Director-General, Commonwealth Business Council, at the launch of the Commonwealth Business Forum in Perth on 25 October 2011.

The Commonwealth

"This is a global institution. We represent more than one quarter of the world's population. We represent one-third of the the world's countries. We represent about one-fifth of the world trade. We represent about one quarter of the total membership of the G20. We encompass all the major faiths of the world, we also come from continents across the globe, and we share a commitment to democracy and human rights."

Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd addressing the media in Perth, Australia, on 26 October 2011.

"We, as a Commonwealth of nations, need to take the opportunity presented by this gathering in Perth to build greater resilience to economic shocks, to build greater resilience to the impacts of climate change. To build greater resilience to the looming challenges of food security and to build greater democratic resilience in a world where democracy continues to be under challenge."

Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd addressing the media in Perth, Australia, on 26 October 2011.