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The 18th
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting was
hosted in Malta (above) and well-attended by
the 53 Commonwealth member states, represented
below in blue
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Uganda takes
centre stage
The 19th
Commonwealth meeting gives Uganda a chance to showcase
its progress over the last twenty years
Ever since the break up of
the Roman empire one of the constant facts of political
life in Europe has been the emergence of independent
nations. They have come into existence over the centuries
in different forms, different kinds of government,
but all have been inspired by a deep, keen feeling
of nationalism, which has grown as the nations have
grown.”
When Harold Macmillan spoke
these words at the South Africa Parliament in 1960,
he could scarcely have imagined that they would still
ring true in 2007. Less still could the then British
prime minster have entertained the notion that the
‘emergence of independent nations’ would
be taking place in Europe - Montenegro being the most
recent case - and that the fervour of nationalism
would have taken hold in Africa to such an extent
that ex-colonial states would today be leading the
African continent towards a prosperous and peaceful
future. The withdrawal of the colonial powers throughout
the 1950s and 1960s invariably resulted in economic
and social upheavals that even developed countries
would have struggled to manage. It is with no small
measure of pride then that Uganda this month plays
host to the world’s largest unilingual gathering
of heads of state – the Commonwealth Heads of
Government Meeting (CHOGM).
The logistical challenge of
hosting the heads of state of the 53 member countries
of the Commonwealth is one to which Uganda intends
to rise emphatically. The capital, Kampala, will be
the centre of international attention between the
23rd and 25th of November, when the leaders of the
Commonwealth of Nations descend en masse to mark the
19th edition of CHOGM. The concurrent Commonwealth
Business Forum is expected to attract in excess of
5,000 delegates.
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the
president of the Republic of Uganda and chairman in
office of the event, will welcome the heads of state,
including the Head of the Commonwealth Queen Elizabeth
II, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and
the Duchess of Cornwall, along with the thousands
of Ugandans expected to throng the streets. In anticipation
of the scale of the meeting, extensive improvements
have been undertaken at Entebbe International Airport
in Kampala. The Civil Aviation Authority has commissioned
a new surveillance radar and some 2,000 additional
security personnel have been drafted in to ensure
the safety of guests, who will be lodged at the Munyonyo
Commonwealth Resort on the outskirts of the city.
It is an unprecedented operation for Uganda, and one
that Mr Museveni and his government have approached
with passion and commitment. In a message to the Ugandan
people earlier this year, Mr Museveni stated, “I
wish to assure all our citizens that Uganda, as a
nation, is ready to host this prestigious event. Since
all the components of our society will be touched
by the various CHOGM -related activities, hosting
it successfully will give us a major leap forward
in the transformation of our country. I wish, therefore,
to rally your support and commitment to the success
of this event.”
Under the banner of ‘Transforming
Commonwealth Societies to Achieve Political, Economic
and Human Development’, the 19th CHOGM will continue
the work of its predecessors to deliberate central
policies designed to benefit its member states, while
Uganda will have the opportunity to display its progress
in achieving its UN Millennium Development Goals.
It is also the duty of the meeting to renew the mandate
of the 1991 Harare Declaration, which sets out the
core principles and policies of the Commonwealth of
Nations. A broad-based set of beliefs that stem from
a common desire for progress among member nations,
the Harare Declaration spans global development and
harmony, the denunciation of racial prejudice and
the promotion of economic and social advancement among
the combined 1,921,974,000 citizens of the Commonwealth.
Previous CHOGMs have contributed to the cessation
of the Cold War, the end of Apartheid in South Africa
and the peaceful conclusion of decolonisation.
It is a testament to how far
African nations have brought themselves, and to the
positive reaction of the Commowealth to the process
of nation-building within its remit, that the 19th
CHOGM is to be held in one of the continent’s
brightest examples of economic and social development.
Secretary General of the Commonwealth Don McKinnon
summed up the potential of this edition of the event
on a recent preparatory visit to Kampala. “Fantastic,”
he enthused.
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UGANDA PROJECT TEAM
Project Director: Loida Peral
Project Coordinator: Leland Rice