Special envoys say their work is a mission, not a job

Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon met his Special Envoys in London, UK, this month to exchange information and experiences of the Commonwealth Good Offices engagements in which they have been involved.

"The Special Envoys concluded, amongst other things, that our Good Offices work is successful because we are able to act as a magnet, bringing all parties together in a climate of trust, without any perception of threat or indifference, and without any real or perceived sense of favouring one person or view over another," Mr McKinnon said after the meeting at the Commonwealth Secretariat's Marlborough House headquarters on 16 and 17 November 2006.

"The Envoys also concluded that their work succeeds because -- while they do it in partnership with others -- they also do it under the Commonwealth flag, which carries such international credibility and respect. They spoke of their work as a mission, not as a job," the Secretary-General added.

Mr McKinnon had convened the meeting to discuss options, strategies and techniques for conflict prevention and resolution in the Commonwealth. In the application of his Good Offices role, the Secretary-General sometimes appoints Special Envoys to facilitate dialogue and help mobilise Commonwealth and international support for conflict prevention and resolution in Commonwealth countries, with the concurrence of the governments concerned.

Special Envoys who attended the meeting were: Abdulsalami Abubakar, former Head of State of Nigeria; Joe Clark, former Prime Minister of Canada; Tun Musa Hitam, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia; Sir Douglas Graham, former MP and Attorney-General of New Zealand; Rt Rev Sir Paul Reeves, former Governor-General and Archbishop of New Zealand; Professor Adebayo Adedeji, former United Nations Under Secretary-General; and Christine Stewart, former Canadian Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for Africa.

Key Links:

• Video: Special Envoys at Marlborough House
• Secretary-General’s Special Envoys
• Secretary-General