Continuing with his extensive schedule of Commonwealth-related meetings this week, Minister for Foreign Affairs George W. Vella today chaired a Roundtable of Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers with Commonwealth Intergovernmental Organisations, Accredited Organisations and Civil Society.

The Roundtable was held for the first time at the 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in response to a request to provide the opportunity for some accredited Commonwealth organisations to spend time with Foreign Ministers and to brief them on their roles and the contributions these organisations can offer to the Commonwealth and its people. At the 2015 CHOGM, the amount of time for this Roundtable was further expanded and Ministers took this opportunity to engage in a substantive and free-flowing discussion.

The Commonwealth Associated Organisations which have either origins or contemporary characteristics of a quasi-governmental nature and whose members include Commonwealth parliamentarians and Commonwealth local government officials, opened this morning's session. Ministers were then able to reflect on the views of civil society which emerged from the Commonwealth People's Forum earlier this week as representatives of Commonwealth civil society made presentations to the Ministers. Both the Associated Organisations and the civil society representatives raised the issues they considered as the current priorities for the Commonwealth, which resulted in a productive exchange with Foreign Ministers.

Foreign Ministers concluded their Roundtable with a session which included a discussion with the three Commonwealth intergovernmental organisations, namely, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Commonwealth Foundation and the Commonwealth of Learning. During this session, these three organisations briefed Ministers about their initiatives and how they contribute to the theme selected for CHOGM 'Adding Global Value'.