Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Kamalesh Sharma this morning launched the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) which will be held in Malta in November 2015. The theme discussed will be "Adding Global Value".
Preparations are well under way for the main event, the Prime Minister said, and these will take place against a backdrop of Maltese historical locations such as Fort St Angelo.
Head of the CHOGM 2015 Phyllis Muscat explained that a series of parallel events will also be held in the week leading up the CHOGM and that four fora which will give a voice to all citizens across the Commonwealth will be held.
"The largest forum is expected to be the Business Forum for which over 1000 delegates will come together to discuss investment and trade opportunities. Alongside this, there will also be a Youth Forum and a People's Forum," said Ms Muscat.
A women's forum will also be launched for the first time in Malta which will be "a celebration of women's achievements with topics such as entrepreneurship, education, and leadership featuring high on the agenda," she explained.
The Secretary-General said that "meetings and site visits over the past 36 hours have made me confident that Malta is well on track for a stand-out global conference."
He said, "Malta's leadership on ideas and practical action for small states has been exceptional. Ten years ago, its work with the Commonwealth on creating resilience profiles for small states is now accepted by major global institutions. The fact that a country is small does not mean that it cannot add global value".
The Commonwealth is an association of 53 independent states, home to 2.2 billion citizens. CHOGM convenes every two years and aims to bring together leaders of member countries to discuss common themes and initiatives.
The Prime Minister said, "I am proud to inform you that with great ambition and vision, the Maltese government is preparing in earnest for this major event."
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat spoke of the Commonwealth's need to reform or risk becoming irrelevant for many years to come. Dr Muscat explained that "over the past months, we have shared our ideas with our Commonwealth partners on how we can make CHOGM 2015 a truly remarkable event in providing an opportunity for leaders to discuss issues and best practices, as well as common concerns, ideas and ambitions affecting the lives of us all."
Addressing the press conference, Foreign Minister Dr George W. Vella added, "We have to remember that the Commonwealth community is made up of 53 member states from all over the globe. The Commonwealth of today has to embrace this global aspect and that is why we have to work towards an enhanced association."
Dr Vella explained that before the summit itself, Foreign Ministers will convene to discuss related Commonwealth matters and begin works. These pre-CHOGM Foreign Ministers meetings started during the meeting held in Malta in 2005 and have now become a permanent fixture in the preparations for CHOGM.
Further information about CHOGM 2015 Malta is available on the official website, www.chogm2015.mt as well as social media pages, where one can join in the conversation.