Commonwealth leaders’ meeting opens in Colombo |16 November 2013

President James Michel is among heads of government and representatives of the 53-member countries taking part in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) which opened in Colombo, Sri Lanka yesterday.

President Michel arrived in Colombo early yesterday morning and was welcomed at the Bandaranaike International Airport in the traditional Sri Lankan manner – with traditional music and dance performed by a group of young men in elaborate head garments and dressed in colourful Aladdin style costumes.

Prince Charles and his wife Camila, Duchess of Cornwall, represented Queen Elizabeth II, head of the Commonwealth, at the event and declared it open during a very colourful ceremony which depicted the cultures and traditions of not only Sri Lanka but other Commonwealth countries as well.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Commonwealth secretary general Kamalesh Sharma as well as Australian Prime Minister Tony Abott all addressed the heads of government who included British Prime Minister David Cameron, South African President Jacob Zuma and many other guests during yesterday’s official opening of the meeting.

A large number of Sri Lankan schoolchildren of all ages, in bright and very colourful traditional costumes, had very early gathered along the different streets leading up to the venues which had been beautifully decorated with colourful flags and garlands and where the ceremony was to be held to welcome the world leaders.

President Michel, the Minister for Foreign Affairs Jean-Paul Adam, as well as ambassadors Marie-Pierre Lloyd and Waven William attended the grand opening ceremony of the CHOGM at the Nelum Pokuna (Lotus Pond) Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre in Colombo.

The first to address the guests, President Rajapaksa said hosting this meeting is an historic occasion for Sri Lanka and also Asia as the CHOGM returns to the region after 24 years.
“As one of the eight founding members of the modern Commonwealth, Sri Lanka is deeply honoured to host this event and is extremely thankful to all of you who have been firm in your support and understanding of the related complexities in Sri Lanka’s post conflict phase,” said Mr Rajapaksa.

“This confidence reposed by you in my country will greatly assist me in steering the organisation’s future in the best interests of our people,” added the Sri Lankan president who is assuming chairmanship of the Commonwealth at this CHOGM.

He noted that there is a multitude of global challenges arising from the uncertainty of the socio-economic conditions faced by our nations today that the Commonwealth should collectively find means to effectively and vigorously address such as the issue of common poverty so as to safeguard the values it holds dear.

He said the strength of the Commonwealth lies in keeping the member countries together, helping one another in a spirit of partnership and making the Commonwealth truly unique.

On a concluding note President Rajapaksa said: “Let not one take notice of faults of others or what they have done or not done. Let one be concerned only about what one has done and left undone.”

When it was his turn to address the heads of state and guests, Mr Sharma said the Commonwealth’s approach is to see democracy, development and respect for diversity, as mutually supportive and melting to form the bedrock of national harmony, and progress for all its people.

“For us, it is not a matter of our political values at one end of a spectrum and our development values at the other. All are found indivisibly in our Commonwealth Charter.” he said.
In remarks before he officially declared the CHOGM meeting open, His Royal Highness Prince Charles expressed the Queen’s deep affection for the Commonwealth and stressed the importance she attached to it throughout her reign.

Commenting on the fact that CHOGM 2013 is the first to take place since the adoption of the Commonwealth Charter which the Queen signed on Commonwealth Day this year, Prince Charles welcomed the document as a milestone in the development of today’s Commonwealth saying: “It will light the path of all those involved in the work of the Commonwealth and of those who follow in our path.”

He added that “each one of us is here because of the hope we have placed in the Commonwealth to bring that touch of healing to our troubles and deliver the very best future for our people”.

Following the official opening of the important Commonwealth leaders’ gathering, the heads of state started their formal meetings and discussions which will culminate in the adoption of the agenda for the different pre-CHOGM meeting which have been held since the start of the week.

They were also expected to hold a dialogue with youth leaders and have several retreat sessions to continue their discussions.

Text: Marie-Anne Lepathy
Photos: Patrick Joubert in Sri Lanka