Britain Prepares for 2018 CHOGM

For the first time, Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castel will be among venues when Commonwealth Heads of Government meet in Britain in April 2018.

In statement in March, the Commonwealth SecretaryGeneral, Patricia Scotland, said the 2018 meeting would ‘cement the shared aims of good governance, sustainable growth and inclusive social and economic development’. These, she said, are aided by our common language, common laws, common parliamentary and other institutions as well as our cultural ties.

A Ministerial Roundtable in March, coordinated by the Secretariat, was attended by 40 of the 52 Commonwealth member states and included representatives from all six regions. The meeting agreed that a key aim of CHOGM in 2018 would be to increase trade between Commonwealth nations. This is projected to increase to US$1 trillion by 2020.

The 2018 CHOGM will see the UK take over from Malta as Chair Office until 2020. This will be the first Commonwealth Heads summit under the leadership of Baroness Scotland as Commonwealth Secretary-General.