Rwanda becomes the association's 54th member

Commonwealth leaders holding their biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting CHOGM) in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on 28 November 2009 considered application for membership by the Republic Of Rwanda. The leaders agreed to admit Rwanda as the 54th member.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma telephoned Rwanda’s President, His Excellency Paul Kagame, late on 28th November 2009 to convey the leaders’ decision.

Chairperson-in-Office, the Honourable Prime Minister Patrick Manning of Trinidad and Tobago, will discuss the subject at a news conference later on 29 November 2009.

The Challenge of Our Time

1.    Climate change is the predominant global challenge.  We convened a Special Session on Climate Change in Port of Spain to discuss our profound concern about the undisputed threat that climate change poses to the security, prosperity, economic and social development of our people.  For many it is deepening poverty and affecting the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. For some of us, it is an existential threat.

Scores of delegates both local and foreign, after wrapping up discussions at the People’s Forum, were taken on various educational tours called Learning Journeys.
They were given a chance to experience first hand, the impact various NGOs were making on communities. South African, Stephen Blunden and the UK’s Myrtle Friester praised the initiative saying it gave them a chance to see the beauty of this tropical paradise.

Some civil society delegates boarded buses heading to Toco, others were taken to Arima to learn more about our indigenous heritage, while a number of delegates opted to go to Tobago.