Deputy Secretary-General addresses UK Defence Academy

Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba addressed postgraduate students at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom on 24 January about the Commonwealth’s role in international affairs.

The Joint Services Command and Staff College (JSCSC), near Swindon, trains the future commanders and staff officers of all three UK Armed Services and those from many countries around the world, including Commonwealth countries.

The year-long course includes a three-week module on International Security Studies.

Mrs Masire-Mwamba, who oversees Political Affairs at the Commonwealth Secretariat, spoke about the Commonwealth’s work in furthering international peace and security through promoting democracy, equality and good governance and as a catalyst for global consensus-building.

“The Commonwealth regards itself as a family. It is an organisation bound by shared values and principles representing a third of the world’s population,” she said.

She also spoke about the Commonwealth’s work in preventing and resolving conflict situations, through the Secretary-General’s ‘Good Offices,’ which offer discreet consultation and advice at the highest levels of government.

And she addressed the Secretariat’s development work, underscoring the importance of development in enhancing political and socio-economic progress.

Afterwards, Mrs Masire-Mwamba took questions on a range of subjects, including human rights and the future challenges facing the Commonwealth.

She said: “Without effective human rights, our quest for democracy and development is undermined.”

The Deputy Secretary-General told students that the Eminent Persons Group, which meets this week in Malaysia, is tasked with looking at reform in the Commonwealth. Their findings will be presented to Heads of Government who meet in October this year in Perth, Australia.

The prestigious Defence Academy is responsible for postgraduate education and the majority of command, staff, leadership, defence management, acquisition, and technology training for members of the UK Armed Forces and Ministry of Defence Civil Servants.

Brigadier Shaun Burley, director of the course, said that students came from all over the world to attend the course, which aims to prepare selected officers for high grade command and staff appointments.