Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group - Concluding Statement

2. The Meeting was chaired by Hon Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ghana. It was also attended by Hon Kevin Rudd, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia; Hon Dr Dipu Moni, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh; Hon Dr Kenneth Baugh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jamaica; Hon Dr Ahmed Shaheed, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives; Hon Utoni Nujoma, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Namibia; Hon Murray McCully, Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand; Hon Dr Surujrattan Rambachan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago; and Hon Joe Natuman, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vanuatu.

3. The Group elected Hon Dr Surujrattan Rambachan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago, as its Vice-Chair.

4. CMAG acknowledged the renewed and strengthened commitment to the fundamental values of the Commonwealth made by Heads of Government in the Affirmation of Commonwealth Values and Principles adopted at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Trinidad and Tobago in November 2009, and the reaffirmation by Heads of CMAG’s ‘vital role as the custodian’ of those values.

5. The Group discussed how CMAG’s work could be further refined and elaborated in order to improve its effectiveness. This is in accordance with the decision of Heads of Government at the 2009 CHOGM that consideration be given to strengthening the role of CMAG to enable the Group to deal with the full range of serious or persistent violations of Commonwealth values. CMAG Ministers will continue their deliberations in advance of CHOGM in October 2011.

6. The Group reiterated its serious concern about the lack of progress made toward the restoration of civilian constitutional democracy in Fiji. CMAG agreed, with regret, that Fiji’s suspension from the Commonwealth remained necessary in order to protect the fundamental values of the Commonwealth. The Group reaffirmed its solidarity with the people of Fiji. It expressed its sincere hope that Fiji would take the necessary steps to enable the restoration of its full participation in the Commonwealth as soon as possible.

7. The Group emphasised the Commonwealth’s continued readiness to assist Fiji in appropriate ways on its path back to constitutional democracy, consistent with Commonwealth values and principles. The Group welcomed the Commonwealth’s continued efforts to engage in constructive dialogue with the interim government of Fiji and other stakeholders, particularly through the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, and encouraged such engagement in good faith to continue.

8. CMAG noted the statement made on Fiji by the Leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum at their recent summit in Vanuatu, and reaffirmed the importance of the Commonwealth continuing to work in close cooperation and consultation with other regional and international partners in relation to the Fiji situation.

9. CMAG also reiterated the importance of paragraph 10 of the 2009 Affirmation of Commonwealth Values and Principles, in which Commonwealth Heads of Government called on all Commonwealth organisations to adhere to Commonwealth values and principles in every possible way, including by acting in conformity with the letter and spirit of the decisions of CMAG. The Group requested the Secretary-General to convey its recommendations on this matter to the Accreditation Committee of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Board of Governors.

New York
25 September 2010

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CMAG Concluding Statement 25 September 2010

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