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Commonwealth Secretariat press release

Commonwealth Secretary-General’s Envoys to meet in London

14 November 2006

Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon has convened a meeting of his Special Envoys to exchange information and experiences of the Commonwealth Good Offices engagements in which they have been involved.

The two-day meeting will take place on 16 and 17 November 2006 at the Secretariat headquarters, Marlborough House, London.

It will focus on options, strategies and techniques for conflict prevention and resolution in the Commonwealth.

In the application of his Good Offices role, the Commonwealth Secretary-General sometimes appoints Special Envoys to facilitate dialogue and help mobilise Commonwealth and international support for conflict prevention and resolution in Commonwealth countries, with the concurrence of the governments concerned.

"These Special Envoys do important work, often behind the scenes and unsung, but they are highly effective in defusing tension and advancing the cause of peace and the fundamental political values of the Commonwealth," Mr McKinnon said ahead of the meeting.

"I am delighted to welcome them to Marlborough House to review progress, exchange ideas and perspectives, and further enhance the effectiveness of this important aspect of the Commonwealth's work," the Secretary-General said.

Special Envoys expected to attend this meeting are: HE General (rtd) Abdulsalami Abubakar, former Head of State of Nigeria; Rt Hon Joe Clark, former Prime Minister of Canada; YAB hj Tun Musa Hitam, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia; Rt Hon Sir Douglas Graham, former MP and Attorney General of New Zealand; Rt Rev Sir Paul Reeves, former Governor General and Archbishop of New Zealand; Professor Adebayo Adedeji, former United Nations Under-Secretary-General; and Hon Christine Stewart, former Canadian Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for Africa.

The meeting will also be attended by three eminent international personalities working in the area of conflict prevention and resolution: Professor Ibrahim Gambari, United Nation Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs; Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General; and Hon Max Van der Stoel, Minister of State of Netherlands and former OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities.

The Commonwealth Secretary-General has an ongoing mandate from Commonwealth Heads of Government, to use the authority of his office and the Commonwealth's role as a trusted partner of its governments and peoples, to help defuse crises and build peace.

His mandate also includes the promotion of the fundamental political values of the Commonwealth, which include democracy, human rights, the rule of law, good governance and sustainable development.

Note for Editors

For media inquiries, please contact Minelle Fernandez Communications and Public Affair Division on +44 (0) 207 7476383 or +44 (0) 7957324346

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ISSUED BY THE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIVISION
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