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'The Commonwealth Institutions in a Globalised World: Reflections on Four Decades'

Date: 24 Jun 2005
Speaker: Secretary-General Don McKinnon
Location: Special 40th Anniversary Symposium, Royal Commonwealth Society, London, UK

Dear Friends of the Commonwealth,

I'm very pleased to be here with you today to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Foundation - and perhaps more importantly, the next 40 years of our organisations.

Let me start by thanking Stuart Mole and all those on the organising committee for hosting such an important event.

Winston Churchill famously said: "The further back I look, the further forward I can see."

In other words, the purpose of looking back is not simply to indulge in nostalgia but to search for insights that can help us face the future more effectively. History often holds the key to unlocking the problems of the present.

Reading the 1965 statements, declarations and briefings about the establishment of the Commonwealth Secretariat, it is hardly surprising to note that leaders at the time were in no doubt that they were the architects of an enduring institution.

 

 

Download the speech: 'The Commonwealth Institutions in a Globalised World: Reflections on Four Decades'