Commonwealth Day 2023 message from the Right Honorable Patricia Scotland KC, Commonwealth Secretary General

Commonwealth Day 2023 Message from the Right Honorable Patricia Scotland KC, Commonwealth Secretary General

We come together as a family of nations to celebrate Commonwealth Day for the first time since the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Her Majesty was a remarkable person, who lived a remarkable life. In her seven decades of service at the helm of the Commonwealth, in a rapidly changing world, she has been the epitome of duty, stability, wisdom and grace.

His late Majesty loved the Commonwealth, and the Commonwealth loved him.

In our sadness at her passing, our admiration for all she was and our enduring gratitude for all she gave us, we can all rejoice that her vision of the Commonwealth, as an equal partnership of nations and breeds, has come to fruition.

As we look at the challenges and opportunities of today’s world and seek to shape our common future, we warmly welcome His Majesty King Charles III on his first Commonwealth Day as the new Head of the Commonwealth.

Her Majesty has repeatedly said that our family of nations has been the cornerstone of her life, and as we mark the tenth anniversary of the signing of the Commonwealth Charter, we share her belief – and that of all the leaders of the Commonwealth – that the values ​​and aspirations it enshrines should not just be words on a page, but the lived experience of all.

Today, the Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 independent sovereign states, spread across five continents and six oceans. With 2.5 billion people, 60% of whom are under the age of 30, we represent around a third of the world’s population.

Every Commonwealth country is different, with different histories, different circumstances and different experiences.

But each is united in an active and committed membership in the modern Commonwealth, bound by the mix of practical benefits, common interests and shared values ​​that makes our family of nations so special.

I deeply believe that our unique qualities and advantages mean that the Commonwealth in 2023 is not just a part of the international system, it is a beacon within it. These qualities shine in the fact that with a multilateral system under pressure, the Commonwealth thrives, precisely because of what we stand for and what we can do.

The values ​​and aspirations of our Charter, and their application in the Commonwealth and the rest of the world, endure – but they are at their highest during difficult times.

In a world facing serious economic, environmental and security challenges, and profound social and technological change, they offer us a clear path to principled and focused collective action to break down the barriers we face and build a better future for all.

Just as the Commonwealth stood together in the face of apartheid and warned of the threats of environmental degradation 34 years ago, we come together now to meet the challenges of the moment and seize the opportunities of tomorrow. .

Where there is violence and conflict, we work for peace.

Where there is insecurity, we protect the culture, process and institutions of democracy.

Where there is poverty, we attack it.

Where there is injustice, we challenge it.

Where our brothers and sisters see their lives threatened and disrupted by the impacts of climate change, we stand with them, working tirelessly for climate action and a more sustainable world.

And at every turn, we’re working together to deliver a better future for the Commonwealth’s 1.5 billion young people.

The friendships and partnerships that have developed over the decades mean that no country or Commonwealth citizen is isolated.

As we have shown so many times, when we are united, there is no storm we cannot weather, no challenge we cannot overcome, and no opportunity we cannot seize. I deeply believe that our family of 56 nations and 2.5 billion people is stronger, more vibrant, more connected and more determined than ever.

So, on this tenth anniversary of our 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 a peaceful and sustainable shared future which we all aspire to become a reality for the whole Commonwealth.

I wish everyone in every part of our Family of Nations a peaceful, joyful and helpful Commonwealth Day.

About Commonwealth Day

Media contact

• Snubbing Abbasi Senior Communications Officer, Communications Division, Commonwealth Secretariat
• Tel: +442077476168 | E-mail