The next CHOGM will take place in Samoa in 2024.Ĭanada also takes part in the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), a selected group of foreign ministers (or their delegates) selected for 2-year terms. During this event, Prime Minister Trudeau drove action on issues such as food insecurity, climate change, and gender inequality. The most recent CHOGM was held in 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda. Canada hosted CHOGM twice, in 1973 and in 1987. CHOGM leaders review the progress on commitments, discuss matters of mutual interest and provide direction to the organization. The Commonwealth advocates for small and vulnerable states, helping to strengthen their climate and financial resilience and inclusion in the global order.Ĭanada participates in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which is held every two years. The Commonwealth also provides a forum for deliberation, problem solving, consensual decision-making and action on matters of importance to its membership.

The mandate of the Commonwealth is to serve the needs of its member governments and their citizens in political, economic and social development. The current secretary-general, Patricia Scotland, is the sixth secretary-general of the Commonwealth, chosen in 2015, and is the first woman to hold the post.

The role of Head has now passed to King Charles III, who attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in June 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda.Ĭanadian diplomat Arnold Smith served as the first Commonwealth secretary-general from 1965 to 1975. Queen Elizabeth II served as the Head of Commonwealth during her 70-year reign. The modern Commonwealth came into existence in 1949 with the London Declaration, and Canada has played an important role in its evolution.

The modern Commonwealth is a values-based association of 56 countries, most with historic links to the United Kingdom and home to over 2.5 billion people over five continents.Ĭanada first joined the British Commonwealth as an independent state in 1931.

What is the purpose of the commonwealth