While the African Union doesn’t have a vote, it is significant that its membership includes 19 members of the continental bloc who are also members of the Commonwealth. This endorsement therefore offers a boost to Kenya’s candidate ahead of CHOGM scheduled to be held in a few months time during the week of June 20, 2022 in Rwanda.
The Commonwealth’s roots go back to the British Empire. But today any country can join the modern Commonwealth. The last country to join the Commonwealth was Rwanda in 2009. Generally known simply as the Commonwealth, it is a political association of 54 member states, almost all of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organization are the Commonwealth Secretariat, which focuses on intergovernmental aspects, and the Commonwealth Foundation, which focuses on non-governmental relations amongst member states.
The Commonwealth was originally created as the British Commonwealth of Nations through the Balfour Declaration at the 1926 Imperial Conference, and formalized by the United Kingdom through the Statute of Westminster in 1931. The current Commonwealth of Nations was formally constituted by the London Declaration in 1949, which modernized the community and established the member states as “free and equal”.
The Commonwealth Secretariat, established in 1965, is the main intergovernmental agency of the Commonwealth, facilitating consultation and co-operation among its members. It is responsible to member governments collectively and organizes Commonwealth summits, meetings of ministers, consultative meetings and technical discussions; it assists policy development and provides policy advice, and facilitates multilateral communication among the member governments. It also provides technical assistance to help governments in the social and economic development of their countries and in support of the Commonwealth’s fundamental political values.
The secretariat is headed by the Commonwealth secretary-general, who is elected by the Commonwealth heads of government.
It is this seat that Dr. Monica Juma is eyeing. The Kenyan candidate has said that she wants to change the perception of the Commonwealth as an organization whose need is the past. “I intend to deliver an effective secretariat, driven by member states priorities that optimize and draw from the diverse advantages and potential Commonwealth. The Secretariat that I will lead will work with all Member States to bolster unity of the Commonwealth family to deal with common challenges such as fighting climate change, debt relief and recovery, promotion of fair trade and investment, transnational organized crimes innovations, pandemics and epidemics, among many others.”
Dr. Monica Juma brings a wealth of experience and is best suited for the post and in the words of His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta, “….. She has an indisputable knowledge of government, regional and multilateral relations, international development, security and humanitarian issues.” This needless to say, positions her as the best candidate to become the seventh secretary general of the Commonwealth.
{{Philip Mundia Githiora is the Acting High Commissioner of Kenya High Commission in Kigali, Rwanda.}}
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