In April 2018 Rwanda was chosen to host the 2020 Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting (CHOGM), becoming the second East African country to host this prestigious meeting after Uganda that hosted it in 2007.
The good news were announced in London, United Kingdom at the closure of the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
After nine years of membership, Rwanda will be the first country that is not a former British colony to host the meeting.
“What a brilliant transformation this country is! Anyone who is a student of development and history will vote for the leadership which this country has shown, in terms of transforming this nation which suffered the 1994 Genocide against Tutsis,” Goheer said.
“2011 was the time for Africa to chair the executive committee in the Board of Governors of the Commonwealth in London and being the largest group of nations within the organization, Africa chose Rwanda out of all countries –such as South-Africa, Tanzania and Kenya to represent the executive committee of Board of Governors,” he added.
Goheer, who closely worked with Rwanda for a period of thirty years, lauded in general Rwanda’s High-Commissioners and representatives around the world for their dynamism in their work.
“I am used to this streak of excellence from Rwanda. If I may say, you have been punching well above your rates in the international system. I can put my heart on hand and say that you have every capacity and capability from all levels and we are hoping that together, we will deliver a fantastic CHOGM so that it will be very difficult for countries after Rwanda to ace it.”
Goheer who came to supervise the 2020 CHOGM’s preparations in Rwanda remarked that the commonwealth was assured in Rwanda’s expertise in leadership.
“Rwanda is currently the chair of the African Union, and is performing well that role, but again it is only one continent, while in the case of the commonwealth, it is all continents of the world united; but through performance and track records, Rwanda has shown that it is capable to handle it,” he added.
While in Rwanda, Goheer met Prof. Anastase Shyaka, the Chief Executive of Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and East African Community Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, among others.
Being a host for this meeting is considered as a unique opportunity as the event will come with great benefits for several sectors in the country such as boosting in tourism, market for Rwanda’s Made-In-Rwanda products, political liaisons and much more.
The Commonwealth of Nations was first officially formed in 1931 and is a voluntary association of 53 sovereign states.
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