• Commonwealth:
• Commonwealth Secretary-General heads for the Pacific

Commonwealth Secretary-General heads for the Pacific

10 August 2008

Papua New Guinea first stop followed by Australia and New Zealand

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma will visit Papua New Guinea from 12-13 August 2008 where he is expected to meet Prime Minister Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare and Foreign Minister Sam Abal, among other official calls.

Mr Sharma will be in Australia from 14 to 16 August where he is due to call on the Speaker of the House of Representatives Harry Jenkins; Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance Bob McMullan; and Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade Michael L'Estrange. The Secretary-General is also to hold discussions with senior officials in Canberra.

Mr Sharma will be in New Zealand from 16 to 19 August where he is expected to meet the Governor-General Anand Satyanand and the Speaker of Parliament Margaret Wilson, as well as Prime Minister Helen Clark, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Opposition Leader John Key. The Secretary-General is also to hold discussions with senior officials in Wellington.

"The Foreign Ministers of Papua New Guinea and New Zealand currently represent the Pacific region in the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) which monitors adherence to the Commonwealth's fundamental values. My visit to the region is a chance for exchanges with these Ministers ahead of the next CMAG meeting on 27 September in New York," said the Secretary-General.

"My visit to Port Moresby, Canberra and Wellington are also an opportunity to keep government leaders informed of progress in implementing the tasks assigned to us by all Commonwealth governments collectively. These include taking forward an agenda of reform of key international institutions, action to tackle climate change, and promoting initiatives that reduce tension and friction between different communities within societies."

On 18 August, Mr Sharma will deliver the 7th Annual Foreign Policy Lecture to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs.

The Secretary-General will also attend the Pacific Islands Forum Summit in Niue. It will be his first attendance at the Forum Summit as Commonwealth Secretary-General.

"My attendance at the Forum Summit in Niue is an opportunity to reaffirm the Commonwealth's abiding commitment to strengthen democracy, economic opportunity, and human development in the region," said the Secretary-General.

"The Pacific is a microcosm of the Commonwealth: it has a rich diversity of cultures and societies; its economies comprise a broad spectrum of development; and all the states of the region have subscribed to fundamental human values and democracy," he added.

"The Commonwealth is active at the global level in supporting practical work to help small states to address climate change challenges, both in terms of mitigation and adaptation. The Commonwealth is also active in exploring and developing new economic opportunities for small states. This sort of work is of direct relevance to the future of Pacific Island states in particular."