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• Speech at the opening ceremony of 2003 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

Speech at the opening ceremony of 2003 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

Date: 5 Dec 2003
Speaker: Secretary-General Don McKinnon
Location: Abuja, Nigeria

Your Majesty,

President Obasanjo,

Distinguished Heads of State and Government,

Ministers,

Representatives of Commonwealth organisations, civil society and the media,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to join President Obasanjo in welcoming you to the Abuja CHOGM.

Thank you, President Obasanjo, for hosting our meeting in this exciting and fascinating city and for the excellent arrangements made for it.

Allow me also to express my gratitude to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth, for her undying commitment and dedication to our organisation over the last five decades - and for being with us once again.

We meet at a time of great insecurity and uncertainty about the future. There is today an increasing global malaise.

Many countries feel that they are losing influence over global events. Big players make the big decisions and less powerful countries are being left on the sideline.

As we are all too aware, the course of international events is often shaped outside the multilateral forums, despite the fact that the fate of millions of people in developing nations is at stake.

So when unilateral decision making drives the haves further away from the have-nots we will see more resentment and envy, more distrust and, ultimately, more violence and terrorism.

It is therefore timely for this CHOGM to give hope to its members and its people and show that, by working together and harnessing all the experience, expertise and commitment at our disposal, we can do better.

To bring sustainable peace and security to our peoples, we must address the imbalances of wealth and power and ensure that more people are part of more decisions.

And we can also say that, while terrorism has no justification and must be fought with all the means at our disposal, the war on terror cannot be won through military force alone.

It means we have to do redouble our efforts, building bridges between communities, and ensuring that every country's voice has a chance of being heard on the international stage.

This is where we, in the Commonwealth - with our long tradition of building consensus, of providing a platform for joint decision-making, where all members are listened to - can make a difference.

We must also use our partnerships to best effect: reflecting the greater engagement and closer collaboration with civil society organisations we have developed over the past two years. We will always seek new opportunities for dialogue.

But consensus is not always easily achieved, as we saw in Cancun last September.

The collapsed trade talks are of concern to all countries in the Commonwealth. Many rightly fear that failure to reach an agreement will lead to a mishmash of agreements where powerful countries dominate the poorer nations in bilateral deals. So, no prize for guessing who would come second.

But ultimately, an end to multilateralism in trade would make everyone a loser, including wealthy countries. It will increase the cost of doing business worldwide, ruin investors' confidence and generate unwanted trade wars.

That is why it is so crucial for all players, especially wealthy countries, to show flexibility and leadership and - in a spirit of generosity - put more on the table and revive the trade talks.

We can play an important part, as the Commonwealth trade ministers showed when they met for the first time in 15 years in Cancun, strongly supporting the Doha Development Agenda.

We can do more, here in Abuja. A Commonwealth Summit producing consensus on global trade would carry a great deal of weight and could - would - assist in building a broader agreement at the WTO.

But current thinking must change - it is not about winners and losers. Everyone can win if leaders show determination and some political courage.

In particular, by agreeing to cut those invidious and distorting agricultural subsidies, rich countries would not only give farmers in poor countries a real chance to trade their way out of poverty, but by ending this trade apartheid, they would put a stop to a practice which costs each individual in a wealthy country US$ 1,000 a year.

Trade is one of the most powerful instruments in the fight against poverty. Democracy is another.

It is no secret that there is a close connection between democracy and development. The two are inseparable. They are the twin engines of progress - and no one can afford to fly on a single engine for long.

Transparent institutions and accountable democratic practices inspire confidence in a country's economy and attract investors.

And development creates a healthy, educated population, more likely to take an active part in the democratic life of their country. Hungry, frustrated people do threaten democracy.

This interdependence between democracy and development is reflected in the theme of this conference: "Development and Democracy: Partnership for Peace and Prosperity".

A document which will provide rich discussions and a roadmap for the future, that will build on our strengths and achievements. Let's keep an open mind as to where these discussions take us. As the famous Nigerian saying goes: "minds are like parachutes: they only work when they are open." So - let's keep an open mind on the Report recommendations.

However, the success of this summit will lie, not in the words it generates, but in the impact it will have on people's lives.

That is our mission in the Commonwealth. That is my objective as Secretary-General. And that is how we measure our success.

We know we help every time we observe elections, we create an environment where democracy can flourish.

Every time a Nigerian school-teacher benefits from Commonwealth training programmes, others will also benefit.

Every time an Indian woman is able to set up her own business thanks to Commonwealth-brokered funds, others will also benefit.

Every time a young Guyanese who is living with HIV/AIDS becomes a Commonwealth Ambassador for Positive Living and helps prevent others getting infected, others will also benefit.

Every time a man in Vanuatu finds a job thanks to funds we raised for projects in the Pacific, others will also benefit.

The great Mahatma Gandhi once offered some sage advice to policy-makers. "Recall the face of the poorest person you have seen," he said, "and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be any use to them."

This noble principle should guide us forward.


Conclusion

So while some people say: the Commonwealth is over the hill. I say: the Commonwealth is still climbing the hill!

Our potential for generating change and progress for Commonwealth citizens is greater than it has ever been - we know our values, we know our objectives, we know the challenges.

But the Commonwealth can only be as strong as its member countries want it to be. And it can only do as much as its resources allow it to do.

I am convinced that this meeting will follow in this tradition and lead to decisive action that will benefit all Commonwealth people.

And as you said, Your Majesty, in 1953, the Commonwealth is "built on the highest qualities of the spirit of man - and women! - friendship, loyalty, and the desire for freedom and peace.

Those words are still relevant today.

5 December 2003, Abuja