Foreign Secretary today (15 March) reaffirmed
the UK’s commitment to the Commonwealth, a diverse network of 56
nations, at the 22nd Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers
Meeting (CFAMM) in London.
He stressed a focus on developing intra-Commonwealth trade and
investment, tackling climate change, protecting the environment,
and promoting the Commonwealth’s shared democratic values.
Foreign Ministers discussed progress made on shared Commonwealth
objectives since they last met in Kigali in June 2022. They
also discussed tackling climate change, boosting trade and
investment between Commonwealth countries, and supporting
free and democratic societies.
They reviewed plans for the next meeting of Commonwealth Heads of
Government (CHOGM), scheduled to take place in Samoa in 2024, and
considered a number of country-specific situations.
The Foreign Secretary encouraged a focus on efforts that
can deliver clear benefits for all Commonwealth members and where
the Commonwealth has a comparative advantage.
The Foreign Secretary set out three UK priorities during the
meeting:
- Increase trade and investment between Commonwealth countries.
Members should ensure the benefits of the Commonwealth
Advantage’, the 21% lower average cost of trade between
Commonwealth countries, are built on and extended to new members.
The Foreign Secretary stressed the need to support Commonwealth
members facing challenges in attracting inward investment.
- Use the Commonwealth’s powerful collective voice to continue
to counter the impact of climate change, and work with small and
vulnerable members, including Small Island Developing States, to
build their resilience to shocks.
- Support and further embed democracy, good governance, the
rule of law and gender equality across the Commonwealth.
In addition to CFAMM, also held a number of
individual bilateral meetings, including with the Prime Minister
of Samoa, and with Foreign Ministers from Rwanda, Jamaica,
Malaysia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya.
