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Ghana has proposed the development of a new Commonwealth strategy to effectively address economic gaps in the 56 member states as the Commonwealth Charter turns 10 years.
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Thomas Mbomba, said the new strategy would also help maintain Commonwealth ideals in the face of rising populism.
He was speaking at a flag-raising ceremony held at the Ministry in commemoration of the 71st Commonwealth Day in Accra yesterday.
With “Forging a Sustainable and Peaceful Common Future” as this year’s theme, the day aims to unite 2.5 billion Commonwealth citizens in celebration of their shared values and principles.
It was the first Commonwealth Day presided over by King Charles III as king and head of the Commonwealth following the demise of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The day also marked the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Commonwealth Charter, which outlines the values and principles that unify the 56 Commonwealth countries, representing one-third of humanity.
Ghana’s celebration, the first since the COVID-19 pandemic was a parade attended by ministers, members of the diplomatic community, school children and security personnel.
It was defined by speeches, choral and dance performances and the tree planting. At exactly 11am, the Commonwealth and Ghana flags were hoisted while their respective anthems were played simultaneous.
Mr Mbomba said the new strategy would fulfill the spirit of the Commonwealth Charter, which expresses the commitment of member states to the development of free and democratic societies and the promotion of peace and prosperity to improve the lives of their people.
He said at a time when countries, particularly African countries, were still experiencing the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was the need for urgent coordinated global action to recover from all present challenges and build a resilient and prosperous future for all.
He said Ghana, having joined the organisation since 1957, remained committed to the organisation’s fundamental principles and shared values of development, democracy and peace.
“Let us work together, in the spirit of cooperation to build a more resilient world against the future,” he said.
The British High Commissioner, Harriet Thompson, read King Charles’ speech which rallied member states to work together and resolve common threats facing all of them.
“Our shared humanity contains such precious diversity of thought, culture, tradition and experience by listening to each other, we will find so many of the solutions that we seek, this extraordinary potential more than equal to the challenges we face, opposite unparalleled strength, not really to face the future, but to build it here,” he said.
The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, in a speech read on her behalf, paid tribute to the late Queen for her seven decades of service and welcomed the King for his first Commonwealth Day as the new head.
“So, on this 10th anniversary of our (Commonwealth) Charter, as we renew our commitment to its values and to each other, let us resolve together to ensure that in the years to come, we make the peaceful and sustainable common future we all strive for a reality for the whole Commonwealth,” she said.
BY JONATHAN DONKOR
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