The Hague — The Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC) wrote to U.S. President Donald J. Trump to urge him to “lift all sanctions against the ICC Prosecutor and disavow the increasing threats against other ICC staff and their families made by Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo” in […]
World News
UN Security Council must act decisively to control the COVID-19 pandemic
THE HAGUE – The U.N. Security Council must take decisive action to address the causes and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, said the World Federalist Movement – Institute for Global Policy (WFM-IGP) today. Almost five months after the first reports of the novel coronavirus were reported in China’s Wuhan Province […]
We should not go back to business as usual after COVID-19
By Patricia Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary-General Today there is an eerie silence across the globe. Bustling cities have gone quiet and highways that were once jammed with bumper to bumper traffic, are empty. In homes, thousands of families are anxiously awaiting a phone call from a hospital about their loved ones. […]
Exercise can be good for you and your country especially during a crisis like COVID-19
By Patricia Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary-General Public parks have been gated shut, beaches emptied and stadia deserted, as an unprecedented 2.5 billion people across the world are told to sit at home. Times are tough. The Coronavirus is real and as it spreads its tentacles across the globe it is taking […]
US Must Stop Shameful Attacks Against the ICC
NEW YORK – The U.S. must end its shameful threats and attacks against the International Criminal Court and its key personnel, said the World Federalist Movement – Institute for Global Policy (WFM-IGP) today. On March 17, U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo named two senior ICC staffers, Chef de Cabinet […]
Commonwealth gathering urges countries to make this ‘the decade of gender equality’
7 March 2020: A Commonwealth gathering has called for an end to gender inequality by 2030 so every girl can have the same opportunities as boys. Ahead of International Women’s Day, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland joined a gathering of leaders, celebrities, academics and activists in London to discuss ways to […]
Commonwealth Day celebrated around the globe
6 March 2020: Celebrations and events will be held around the world on Monday, 9 March to mark Commonwealth Day. This year’s event is centred around the theme ‘Delivering a Common Future’, highlighting how the 54 member countries in the Commonwealth family are ‘innovating, connecting and transforming’ to help achieve […]
6 March 2020: Technology brings both benefit and risk to elections – but there are solutions that can defend the process from cybersecurity threats. This is the message from a new Commonwealth best practice guide to cybersecurity in elections. The product has been developed to help election management bodies identify and […]
Climate crisis is a global human rights challenge
26 February 2020: The Commonwealth of 54 countries, 32 of which are small, are facing a climate change emergency that is costing lives and presenting an “undeniable human rights challenge” to the world. Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland today addressed the High Level Segment of the UN Human Rights Council’s 43rd Regular Session in […]
Dominica backs Commonwealth Secretary-General for second term
February 19, 2020: Patricia Scotland, the Commonwealth’s Secretary-General, has been supported to serve a second term by the Commonwealth of Dominica, the country of her birth. As is customary, the leaders of all 54 Commonwealth countries will meet in June at their biennial summit in Rwanda, to discuss among other things, […]
16 finalists announced for the Commonwealth Youth Awards 2020
18 February 2020: Sixteen extraordinary individuals including innovators, activists and entrepreneurs from 12 countries have been shortlisted for this year’s Commonwealth Youth Awards. A pan-Commonwealth judging panel met last week and selected the top individuals in each of the award’s four regional categories. This year, the awards received more than 500 entries […]
Commonwealth Secretary-General statement on Cameroon deaths
18 February 2020: The Commonwealth Secretary-General has issued the following statement in response to an attack on a village in north-west Cameroon on 14 February which left 23 people dead, the majority of them children. Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said: “I strongly condemn the recent killings of civilians, including women and […]
Nominations open to join Commonwealth Youth Council
14 February 2020: Nominations are now open for nine youth leaders to represent the Commonwealth’s 1.4 billion young people on the Commonwealth Youth Council. The Commonwealth Youth Council is seeking candidates for its executive positions to serve from 2020 to 2022. Candidates must have at least three years of experience working […]
Apply now for Malaysian scholarships for Commonwealth students
12 February 2020: The Commonwealth Secretary-General has launched a new scholarship at the King Henry VIII College in Selangor, Malaysia. One of the first recipients was 16-year-old Scot Choo, the son of a pilot who died when Malaysian plane MH17 was shot down over Ukraine in 2014. Secretary-General Patricia Scotland officially […]
Maldives becomes 54th member of Commonwealth family
The Commonwealth has welcomed its 54th family member after Maldives’ application for re-admission was approved. The small island nation officially re-joined the Commonwealth at 00:01 today (Saturday, February 1). This marks the end of a process that began 13 months ago, in December 2018, when President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih wrote to the Commonwealth Secretary-General expressing […]
