The 63rd Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) met in New York this week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss developments in member states.
The group was formed in 1995 to be a custodian of fundamental political values of the Commonwealth. It is made up of a rotating group of foreign ministers from eight countries, drawn from different regions, plus the foreign minister of the Commonwealth Chairperson-in-Office, the host of the previous Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Held on Monday 18 September 2023, the meeting was chaired by the Hon Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa, Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Tourism, of Samoa. Ministers from Barbados, Canada, Ghana, Mauritius, and Rwanda, and representatives of Belize, Malaysia and Malta, were in attendance.
Outlined in the CMAG final statement:
“Ministers expressed the collective concern of the Commonwealth on the political situation in Gabon, strongly condemned the unconstitutional removal of the elected government from office and called for the restoration of democracy. Ministers commended the Secretary General’s prompt assessment of the situation and technical assistance to the transition processes.
The Group thanked the Secretary-General for her Good Offices in seeking a democratic solution to the situation in Gabon. In accordance with the steps set out in the Millbrook Commonwealth Action Programme on the Harare Declaration, the Ministers decided to partially suspend Gabon from the Commonwealth pending the restoration of democracy. This partial suspension entails suspension from the Councils of the Commonwealth, and the exclusion of Gabon from all Commonwealth intergovernmental meetings and events, including ministerial meetings and CHOGM.
Further, Ministers determined that if acceptable progress is not made within two years, consideration will be given to fully suspending Gabon from membership of the Commonwealth. The Ministers urged the Secretary-General to continue her Good Offices engagement with Gabon, including providing technical assistance, with a view to redressing the situation and facilitating Gabon’s return to democracy.
The Group called upon Gabon as a Commonwealth member, to uphold the values and principles of the Commonwealth and to hold credible elections as soon as possible and within a maximum of two years from 30 August 2023.
The Group called upon Gabon to guarantee the personal integrity, safety, health and human rights of former President Ali Bongo Ondimba, his family members and members of his Government.”
CMAG meetings are convened by the Commonwealth Secretary-General with the Commonwealth Secretariat providing secretarial support.
So do i still need a visa to go there or dont i? Because recently something was signed saying that i dont. whats the word on that?
We cannot always condemn the industrialized countries to justify all the misfortunes of poor countries
Especially since they don’t stop helping them financially
Please look for the causes elsewhere! ….
Some small countries that have nothing special are doing very well.
EG: Why on the same island there is 1 country which is doing very well (the Dominican Republic) with tourism, etc… and the other one which is the poorest in the world (Haiti)?
mmm ?
Who needs that “commonwealth ” when you are trying to get rid of all European deadly influence sucking your resources by the plane-loads and ship-loads that they can’t pipe under the Mediterranean. America got rid of that commonwealth way back in 1776, and knocked out that super power to a worthless piece of real estate.
France sucks uranium worth over 200 euros per kg, and only pays the poor people 80 cent per kg., so does all of them U.S, U.K, E.U, Germany count African wealth as part of their economy. We just need to take our wealth back from that commonthief aka commonwealth, demand all gold and diamonds their king got thru theft and bullying paraded to a world that also allows known theft from Africa. Voleh epi soutiweh, give it back!
There was no commonwealth in 1776. America broke away from England in 1776. Excellent comment, England had no representatives at this meeting. We must not fight among ourselves.
Hey, hey .. neither is England a worthless piece of real estate, enlighten us if you would, don’t just sit there.
You are going back too far instead of looking ahead. People like you are stuck in one place. Your history from 1776 will not help anyone. Be innovative and and stop crying over spilled milk. If everyone of us were to site our past in history we’d still be planting cotton and riding in the back of the bus. Move forward! For God’s sake. I’m tired of you historians who do nothing to help yourself and society. Get rid of this lazy mentality. I could say the same thing for eternity and it would profit me nothing. So get to work.
Yeh, you can’t be selective. Why not move on when you put only a little money, not even a million in the bank, you go back to get some, crying about the even the smallest mistakes. It’s history, how far back do you go, why not just walk away, leave it alone and move on.
The Commonwealth is a tool of the United Kingdom/ Great Britain to keep former British Colonies under the continued control of the clutches of United Kingdom/ Great Britain.
The Gabonese people have stood up for their rights so King Charles, Baroness Scotland and every Commonwealth country supporting the suspension should respect the wishes of the Gabonese people.
F….the Commonwealth! Why do any independent nation of Black people want to remain in the British Commonwealth to bow to the Queen and King of England only heavens know! The mental slavery is so deep!