• Commonwealth:
• News:
• News Archive Search:
• Commonwealth Respect and Understanding Commission to meet in London

Commonwealth Respect and Understanding Commission to meet in London

26 April 2007

Building and rebuilding harmonious communities a significant and powerful mandate for social change, says McKinnon

The Commonwealth Commission on Respect and Understanding will meet in London next week to review progress and finalise analysis and recommendations which will be presented to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Uganda later this year.

The Commission will convene from 1 to 2 May at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London under the Chairmanship of Indian Nobel laureate Professor Amartya Sen.

The Commission, appointed by Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon, held its inaugural meeting in December last year. It followed a 2005 mandate from heads of government to look into the issues of community, conflict and identity in the context of democracy, human rights and the rule of law across the Commonwealth.

“The Commonwealth constituency cuts across different cultures, faiths, races and levels of development. We are in a unique position to look at some of the core political and social challenges facing our increasingly polarised world,” Mr McKinnon said.

“The Commission has a significant and powerful mandate which could affect social change within the Commonwealth’s 53 nations -- and beyond.”

Full press release available here