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Commonwealth Secretariat press release

Graca Machel Appointed Chairperson of the Commonwealth Foundation

15 October 2000

Graca Machel, one of Africa's most prominent leaders of civil society, has been unanimously chosen as the new Chairperson of the Commonwealth Foundation. 

Ms Machel of Mozambiquewas chosen by Commonwealth Senior Officials at their meeting in Apia, Samoa, on 18-20 October 2000. She will begin her two-year  term  on  1 January 2001. She succeeds Ambassador Don Mills of Jamaica, who has been Chairperson since 1997. 

Ms Machel brings to this position extensive experience in both government and non-governmental affairs at the national, regional and international levels. She is currently a member of the Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters at the UN where she also led the team of experts that prepared a report for the UN Secretary-General on the impact of Armed Conflict on Children. She is also a member of the Boards of the UN Foundation, UN University and the South Centre. 

In Mozambique, she served as Minister of Education from 1975-89, and is the founder and President of the Foundation for Community Development which aims to facilitate the participation of civil society in the process of development. 

Media Note

This is a Joint Press Release by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Foundation. 

The Commonwealth Foundation is an inter-governmental organisation of the Commonwealth. Founded in 1966 at the same time as the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Foundation is mandated to work in the non-governmental sector. Its major area of work, the Citizens and Governance Programme, aims to give voice and power to citizens in all aspects of governance structures and processes and to strengthen civil society. 

For further information, contact Susannah Pickering-Saqqa, tel: +44-(0)20-79303783, fax: +44-(0)20-78398157, email: pickeris@commonwealth.int,

Website: http://www.commonwealthfoundation.com/

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ISSUED BY THE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIVISION
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