What is the role of the Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
Every two years, the 54 Commonwealth leaders meet in a different Commonwealth country to discuss matters of common interest and develop initiatives to benefit the Commonwealth’s diverse membership. This summit is called a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). See the table for full details of meetings.
Each CHOGM brings together almost one-third of the world’s leaders, mostly Presidents and Prime Ministers. To encourage frank exchanges and views between them during the summit, every effort is made to promote an informal atmosphere. After a public ceremony, which in recent years has been addressed by the Head of the Commonwealth, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, discussions are held in closed session (a retreat). The number of advisers is restricted and written speeches are discouraged. Many important initiatives emerge from these retreats.
Decisions at the CHOGM are arrived at through consensus rather than voting, and debates are informal. Initiatives promoting democracy, racial equality, conflict resolution, cultural diversity, education, economic development and access to modern technology are key areas of achievement from the history of CHOGMs. Not surprisingly, these summits provide fundamental direction for the modern Commonwealth.
A Communiqué is issued at the end of each CHOGM. This records the subjects discussed and decisions reached. Declarations or statements on important matters are also sometimes issued by the leaders and published alongside their communiqué.
List of meetings
1971 14 January – 22 January - Singapore (Singapore)
1973 -2 August – 10 August - Canada (Ottawa)
1975 -29 April – 6 May - Jamaica (Kingston)
1977- 8 June – 15 June United Kingdom (London)
1979 - 1 August – 7 August Zambia (Lusaka)
1981 - 30 September – 7 October- Australia (Melbourne)
1983- 23 November – 29 November India (New Delhi)
1985- 16 October – 22 October - Bahamas (Nassau)
1986- 3 August – 5 August - United Kingdom (London)
1987- 13 October – 17 October - Canada (Vancouver)
1989- 18 October – 24 October - Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)
1991- 16 October – 21 October - Zimbabwe (Harare)
1993- 21 October – 25 October - Cyprus (Limassol)
1995- 10 November – 13 November - New Zealand (Auckland)
1997- 24 October – 27 October - United Kingdom (Edinburgh)
1999 - 12 November – 14 November - South Africa (Durban)
2002 - 2 March – 5 March - Australia (Coolum)
2003 -5 December – 8 December - Nigeria (Abuja)
2005- 25 November – 27 November - Malta (Valletta)
2007- 23 November – 25 November - Uganda (Kampala)
2009- 27 November – 29 November - Trinidad and Tobago (Port of Spain)
2011- 28 October - 30 October - Australia (Perth)
2013 - 15 November - 17 November - Sri Lanka (Colombo)