In which direction would you steer the Commonwealth if you were Kamalesh Sharma?
Ask Sharma: Your queries answered by the Secretary-General
10 November 2009
Do you have a burning question or suggestion you would like to put to the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth?
Kamalesh Sharma will be taking questions and suggestions from around the Commonwealth in the run-up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Trinidad and Tobago later this month.
The biennial summit, taking place in Port of Spain between 27 and 29 November 2009, sees the leaders of the Commonwealth’s 53 member countries gather to discuss global, political and economic developments and to review the association’s work.
Over the course of CHOGM, Mr Sharma will discuss with presidents and prime ministers matters such as climate change, the global financial crisis, the vulnerability of small states and issues affecting young people.
But Mr Sharma also wants to hear from you.
What would you ask the Secretary-General? What issues do you want discussed by Commonwealth leaders? In which direction would you steer the Commonwealth if you were Kamalesh Sharma?
You might want to ask about sustainable development and the environment or debt management, trade and economic development. You may have a suggestion related to education, gender equality and health or information and communication technologies. Or perhaps you have a query regarding democracy and good governance. Whatever your question or suggestion, don’t be afraid to express it!
Please send your question or suggestion to asksharma@commonwealth.int by Wednesday, 18 November. Provide your name, email, and your approximate location, and offer as much information as you wish on your own background and experiences.
Mr Sharma will answer as many questions and suggestions as possible during CHOGM, with responses (and your emails) published on Twitter, Facebook and on the Commonwealth Secretariat’s website. Please state if you wish any part of your email to remain confidential.
Mr Sharma, my bet is that most of your questions are coming from civil society. As the Commonwealth Foundation is the part of the Commonwealth we are supposed to be supported by, can you get the top person there to start an Ask Collins link?
Mr Sharma, the UN has field offices in the regions. Does the Commonwealth plan to do the same? I say this because the Pacific nations have a larger ownership in the Commonwealth than the UN but we dont have the VOICE relative to that ownership. The UN's agencies have offices for the Pacific in their structure. Can the Commonwealth please do the same. ESPECIALLY for WOMEN AND GENDER with advisers in the key four pillar areas, led by a director, boosted by a Comms person, and resourced to ACT!
2010 marks the half way point for the Commonwealth Plan of Action on Gender Equality. What best practice can the Commonwealth provide in terms of implementation and again, how much in terms fo budget and resources has been spent implementing this plan in the pacific region?
What is the level of Pacific registration in the pre-CHOGM and CHOGM meeting compared to all the other regions? What is the level of Pacific involvement in the programmes of theCPF assemblies? And what is the updated demographic postcard for the Pacific, and all the other Commonwealth regions as at Nov 2009?
At the CPF/CHOGM meeting in Trinidad this week, could the Regional Heads of Government come to consensus or at least finalize the next steps for the BSc. online programme for Caribbean Pharmacists. This has become a sore point in the Caribbean Pharmacy Community.
Your Excellency, The Millenium goals are far from being met. So why set such unachievable goals? Action and delivery is key to fulfilling promises,otherwise men of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds.
Would Mr Sharma throw some light as to how would the Commonwealth go about in ensuring inclusive growth for this club of nations which i s almost like a UN?
I am a Senior Canadian Citizen, migrated from Sri Lanka. I am deeply worried about the Human rights violation by the Armed forces against the minority Tamils. There has been several demands from Tamils all over the world [90 million] to expell Sri Lanka from the Commonwealth. Please take this matter seriously and do justice to the Tamils.
Mr Secretary General, Thanks for such a fantastic opportunity,ithink this is amazing.I would like to ask if the CHOGAM would be able to find the solution of long lying political disputes within the Commonwealth Countries and also what would be the status of the commonwealth citizens in terms of binding better deals amongst the different countries as the EU.Where would you like to see Commonwealth in near future,would there be free trade zone,better immigration policies.
There's an increase DEMAND that COUNTRIES - outside The Commonwealth - should have access to a status of "associate membership" (or "honorary membership") so what are the chances today for such a demand of another country to participate (neutrally) in the current life of The Commonwealth ? and if such a process of opening exists - What are the steps leading to it ?
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