Latest content: Secretary-General

Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, will attend the Conference of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Port-of-Spain from 3 to 5 July 2023 as a special guest.

In 1967, American civil rights leader Dr Martin Luther King said in a speech, "we are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history there is such a thing as being too late." For far too many in the world today affected by our changing climate, this statement is an urgent truth.

Commonwealth Health Ministers and Heads of Delegation have reaffirmed their commitment to achieving universal health coverage (UHC) and ensuring the most vulnerable and marginalised have equal access to health services across the 56 member countries by 2030.

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, and Health Ministers from across the Commonwealth are set to meet in Geneva on Saturday, 20 May 2023, to forge a path forward on accelerating efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), during the 35th Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting (CHMM).

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, visited Vanuatu on April 29th and 30th to address climate justice and climate action issues for the Pacific. Her visit came at a critical time for Vanuatu, which is still recovering from the devastating impact of two Category 4 cyclones, Judy and Kevin, that hit the country in early March.

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, is in Papua New Guinea this week where she met with Prime Minister the Hon James Marape to discuss issues of mutual interest and strengthen partnerships between the Commonwealth and Papua New Guinea. The Prime Minister and Secretary-General also had fruitful discussion on gender issues, climate action and youth empowerment.

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, has concluded a visit to Australia this week where she held discussions with government officials and civil society representatives on issues ranging from climate action to youth empowerment.

By Commonwealth Secretary-General, The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC

The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC,
has become the first Black woman as well as the first Caribbean, Dominican and British
person to receive the University of California (UC) Berkeley’s prestigious Global Leadership
Award in recognition of her exceptional contributions to improving lives through
innovation and technology.

Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, delivered a keynote address at the University of California (UC) Berkeley today, where she highlighted the urgency of bridging the persistent digital divide to ensure everyone can reap the full benefits of technology.

The Commonwealth Secretariat, together with a consortium of global firms, start-ups, universities and non-profits, have come together to bridge the digital divide, including the artificial intelligence (AI) gap, to help empower Commonwealth citizens, with a particular focus on the association’s 33 small states.

Baroness Scotland calls for innovative finance mechanisms to close fiscal space on health in national economies.

A spirited debate, delivered by passionate sports and health experts, inspired powerful conversations among the audience gathered at Marlborough House, the headquarters of the Commonwealth Secretariat, and those gathered online.

The Commonwealth Secretariat and Intel have jointly launched a digital learning platform to enable public sector officials in 56 countries to understand and harness emerging technologies to achieve development goals.

The international community must prioritise funding to address the challenges facing our ocean, as the available support is currently far too little, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, said at the Monaco Blue Initiative conference.

Just days after celebrating Commonwealth Day, sixty young leaders from across the Commonwealth had a chance to speak directly with a group of Foreign Affairs Ministers and High Commissioners from Commonwealth member states at an event in London.

The Prime Minister of Samoa, the Hon Fiame Naomi Mata’afa and the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, have called for stronger efforts to address the gender imbalance in leadership.

Foreign Ministers from across the Commonwealth met yesterday for the 22nd annual Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting (CFAMM). The meeting was held in person at the Commonwealth Secretariat headquarters, Marlborough House, in London.

A commemoration for the men and women from the Commonwealth who served with the British Armed Forces during the First and Second World Wars was held today at the Memorial Gates in central London.

Commonwealth Day 2023 Message from The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, Commonwealth Secretary-General

By Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC