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Queen and Heads of Government to Speak at Opening Ceremony

Pre-CHOGM Media Briefing by Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku

Thursday, 11 November, 1999, Durban South Africa

Welcome to CHOGM in South Africa. Contrary to reports, the Commonwealth Secretariat has no plans to stay on and take up permanent residence after the conference.

We expect this to be the largest ever gathering for a heads of government meeting. There will be 52 national delegations present. The only absentee will be Pakistan, which has been suspended from the councils of the Commonwealth. This is offset by the welcome return of Nigeria, formally suspended from Commonwealth membership in 1995. There will be 47 Heads of Government present, the highest ever number of heads.

The opening ceremony tomorrow will be at 9am in the ICC over the road, with addresses by first our host President Mbeki, then myself, followed by Prime Minister of Singapore, the Hon Goh Chok Tong; the Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Rt.Hon P.J.Patterson, and finally by H.M. Queen Elizabeth II, head of the Commonwealth.

It is fitting to be in South Africa as a venue for the last CHOGM of the millenium, given the long and deep preoccupation of the Commonwealth with the anti-apartheid cause, and South Africa's much-welcomed return to the Commonwealth in 1994, after a thirty-three year absence.

Let me mention the highlights of the meeting's agenda. On the political side there will be a review of political developments of concern to heads of government in the different regions of the Commonwealth. These are expected to include Cyprus, Belize, terrorism, child soldiers and small arms. There will also be consideration of the report of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), including CMAG's future role, as well as the report of its recent ministerial mission to Pakistan following the military coup there.

On the economic side we will take the opportunity to review progress since the Edinburgh Economic Declaration; we will consider a presentation from the Commonwealth Business Council, including an account of its business Forum earlier in the week in Johannesburg; the report of the Commonwealth Finance Ministers on such subjects as the HIPC, and reform of the international financial architecture; and the report of the Working Group on Corruption in Economic Management. It is also expected that there will be some discussion of trade issues, especially in view of the fact that the Seattle ministerial meeting of the WTO will be taking place shortly after CHOGM.

The session will thereafter deal with the meeting's special theme "People Centred Development: the Challenge of Globalisation", considering how globalisation affects people and how countries can maximise its benefits in terms of human resources as well as protect their peoples from its adverse effects. This discussion is likely to be continued at the Retreat at Fancourt, George on Saturday and Sunday.

As you know, the Retreat has been a distinctive feature of CHOGMs since 1973. It offers an opportunity for Heads of Government, the Secretary-General ,and their spouses to relax together, at the same time as discuss some of the more difficult and sensitive issues. The meeting expects to appoint the new Secretary-General. There are two known candidates, and we hope it will be possible to make an announcement at the end of business on Friday.

There will be an Executive Session on Saturday morning, and a visit by a heads to the Commonwealth People's Centre just over the way, a visible manifestation that the Commonwealth is not just an association of governments but an association of peoples.

And finally, there will be an executive session on Monday at which the meeting will consider the report of the Committee of the Whole on Commonwealth functional cooperation; the interim report of the joint Commonwealth/World Bank Task Force on Small States as well as reports from the Commonwealth Foundation and the Commonwealth of Learning, and any other business. It is expected that the Chairman of the meeting and I will give the concluding news conference at the end of that session.

I should also mention that this is my last CHOGM as Secretary-General, as I hope that my successor will take over from me at the beginning of April.


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