Commemorating the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) being held in Malta
Malta will be hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November 2015 - the second time in 10 years.
The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 53 independent countries which collectively have a total population of 2.2 billion. The association came together in 1949 after the decolonisation of the British Empire.
The Commonwealth includes some of the world's largest, smallest, richest and poorest nations, and is symbolically headed by HM Queen Elizabeth II. The countries within the association are guided by the principles contained in The Charter of the Commonwealth which embraces democracy, human rights and the rule of law as its main values.
The theme for the meeting being held in Malta is 'Adding Global Value' which encourages the Commonwealth's governments and civil society to think about what unites the members and what they can achieve together. This theme also underlines the Commonwealth's strength in international politics and its impact on global issues.
The Commonwealth is strongly represented in global fora such as the United Nations, Caribbean Community,
European Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as well as in the G20. Within these institutions, the Commonwealth member countries are in a good position to influence the global political agenda.
Besides the meeting held by the heads of government, a number of fora will be hosted for the general public and businesses. The main target audiences for these meetings are specifically the general public, women, youth and business.
The year 2015 is a decisive year for the United Nations as it seeks to establish a new framework for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in all its aspects.
