BY MWONDOSHAH MFANGA
18th November 2013.
The 98-point document was issued at the conclusion of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) yesterday in Colombo, Sri Lanka where all member heads of state were present with President Jakaya Kikwete representing Tanzania.
Themed ‘Growth with Equity: Inclusive Development’ the three-day meeting was attended by 50 countries, 27 of which were represented by their Heads of State or Government who reaffirmed their commitment to sustainable development
They acknowledged that eradicating poverty is the greatest challenge facing the world today and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development.
In this respect therefore, they expressed support for all ongoing work mandated in the Rio+20 outcome document: the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable
The leaders resolved that when it comes to political values, it is a fundamental and abiding requirement for all Commonwealth citizens to be able to participate in the democratic processes and to hold their governments to account, in order to shape the communities in which they live.
They affirmed their conviction that it is the role not only of governments but also of political parties and civil society to promote and uphold the democratic culture and practices.
The leaders also discussed the Colombo Declaration on Sustainable, Inclusive and Equitable Development about which they acknowledged the substantial progress made so far as well as the challenges faced both globally and within the Commonwealth towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
They noted the findings of the 2013 United Nations MDG Progress Report, which states that some of the MDGs have already been met and that more targets are within reach by the 2015 target date. They however expressed concern that some targets remain off-track both globally and within the Commonwealth.
Nonetheless, they agreed that previous undertakings and commitments by member states at the Millennium Summit should continue to be pursued actively, particularly on Global Partnerships. They also reaffirmed their determination to collectively call for a strong and effective partnership for development and all agreed that successful achievement of the MDGs by 2015 should remain the primary global development priority.
On international trade and investment the heads welcomed progress being made in strengthening relations between the G20 and Commonwealth members, including the establishment of the Annual Commonwealth Dialogue and regular G20 outreach with the Commonwealth.
They welcomed the initiative of the G20 Development Working Group to conduct its first accountability exercise and noted the detailed contributions made by Commonwealth developing country members.
Another matter was the question of sustainable land management to which the leaders emphasized the importance of the world’s oceans and seas as the basis for a broad range of critical economic and social activities, particularly for developing countries and Small Island Developing States.
As for terrorism and extremism, they reaffirmed their unequivocal condemnation of all its forms and manifestations, committed by whomever, wherever, and for whatever purposes. They stressed their unwavering commitment to combating terrorism, including strengthening international networks on money laundering and financing and rejected the payment of ransom as a source of terrorist funding.
The participants conveyed appreciation to the Sri Lanka government and its people for their warm hospitality, the heads of state and government also congratulated President Mahinda Rajapaksa for his able stewardship of the meeting.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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