ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, Nov 3, CMC – The leaders of the 56-member Commonwealth grouping began their 28th meeting here on Tuesday with Britain’s King Charles saying that the Commonwealth of today is not merely a product of the past, but “a response to the world of today”.
“Its vocation is more compelling than ever. In fact, in a desperately troubled world, the Commonwealth has welcomed new members who see the unique value of this organisation and have chosen to be part of its future,” Charles told the ceremony.
He said in the current global environment, trust between nations is under critical strain, as international norms and systems are tested to their limits.
“Brutal conflict stalks our world, destroying lives and casting long shadows across the globe. Technology is transforming our societies and our economies at dizzying speed, with little certainty about where it might lead us.”
Charles, who is head of the grouping of former British colonies, said that as he has consistently tried to emphasise, climate change is no longer just a terrifying prospect, “but a catastrophic reality which threatens our very way of life.
“Nature is under constant attack and critical natural systems are collapsing. And in each of our countries, for too many people, the opportunity to fulfil their potential lies far beyond their reach.
“Each of these is a challenge of the highest order. Together they comprise the crisis of our time.The Commonwealth cannot provide all of the solutions. It does, however, offer an unparalleled opportunity to work together across our societies and our economies, through our businesses, our institutions and our communities.”
Charles said that the Commonwealth grouping also allows members to “draw on the collective ingenuity of a third of humanity to address the challenges confronting us all.
“This, it seems to me, is the vital essence of the Commonwealth. It lives in the people we serve. It courses through the dynamic connections between them. It flows through partnership and trade and in the solutions we find to shared challenges. It drives cooperation across borders and inspires our young people to imagine the future they can build.”
Charles said that it provides member states today, here, now, with a unique opportunity o forge common cause in the interests of the people of the Commonwealth.
“And what unites this extraordinary and unique group of countries even more deeply is our values of democracy, the rule of law, of respect, equal dignity and human rights, of sustainable development, of peace and security.”
Charles said that these values have never been more important, contested as they are on so many fronts, and they guide the grouping to action.
He said this is why the theme of this CHOGM “Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth”, represents such a vital opportunity for everyone.
“To realise these opportunities in the field of climate and nature, for example, transformative investment can drive real change, such as in renewable energy and resilient infrastructure, in sustainable regenerative agriculture and agroforestry, and food systems, in our oceans, our forests, and in the natural systems upon which our economies and societies ultimately depend.
“Here in the Caribbean, as in so many parts of our Commonwealth, climate change is not some distant prospect. It is an alarming reality. As we know, large ocean states have contributed little to the causes of climate change. And yet, they are among those bearing the greatest cost.
“If we mobilise climate finance through the private sector and with the leveraging capacity of the public sector, we can drive investment into climate resilience,” Charles said, adding “nature herself is an essential form of capital that sustains our prosperity and wellbeing, and yet we have persisted for too long to live off nature’s capital rather than her income.”
He said to restore nature is therefore “not to choose our environment over our economy. It is to invest in the very foundations of our economy, not to mention our security”.
He said that the Commonwealth has announced a series of nature and climate proposals for consideration noting that this new Commonwealth initiative with funding to restore habitats, work with insurers on the proposal for a Commonwealth-backed mutual insurance mechanism to provide rapid payouts after disasters, and aspirations for a Commonwealth net zero fund to provide access to credit for a renewable energy revolution.
“I look forward to hearing how Commonwealth leaders, the private sector and civil society will work together on innovative proposals like these in support of all the citizens of the Commonwealth, especially in countries most vulnerable to the reality of climate change,” he added.
The head of the Commonwealth said that another area in which there is such great potential for the Commonwealth to do more is in international trade.
“Our shared legal traditions, our institutions, the long-standing networks between us, as well as the English language, give us a remarkable common advantage. So much so that the Commonwealth Enterprise Investment Council reminds us that it is 21 per cent cheaper to do business across the Commonwealth.
“We can surely make far better use of this advantage by reducing barriers to trade, improving our digital connectivity, helping small and medium-sized enterprises to find new markets, sharing the burden of insurance, and by encouraging investment across our borders.”
Charles said that the potential is tremendous, and it goes far beyond trade.
“In traditional goods, there are enormous opportunities in digital services, sustainable tourism, clean energy, the creative industries, the blue economy, and in the technologies of tomorrow. In light of all these opportunities,” he said.
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