Don McKinnon re-elected Commonwealth Secretary-General

Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon was today elected for a second four-year term by Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Abuja, Nigeria.

Addressing Heads of Government following his re-election, Mr McKinnon said: "Thank you for the confidence you have once again placed in me.

"I feel very privileged and honoured to be working for the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth is a unique organisation which has a unique role to play in today's world.

"And of course, the Commonwealth could not achieve this if it wasn't for our 300 or so deeply committed and talented staff members - who deserve a lot of the credit.

"When I was first appointed, I said that the Commonwealth needed to be relevant to the lives of Commonwealth people.

"I still believe this, and I am convinced there are many more ways in which we can make a difference in the future. We will continue to work towards that end."

Note to Editors:

Commonwealth Secretaries-General are elected by Commonwealth Heads of Government and may hold a maximum of two four-year terms.

Don McKinnon was first elected at the Durban CHOGM in 1999 and took office in April 2000. He is the fourth Commonwealth Secretary-General. His second term in office will commence in April 2004.