Theme: ‘One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Common Wealth’

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2024 (CHOGM) will take place in Apia, Samoa from 21-26 October 2024. It will be the first CHOGM to be held in a Pacific Small Island Developing State.

Building on progress since CHOGM 2022, leaders will deliberate on global economic, environmental and security challenges, and discuss how Commonwealth countries can work together to build resilience, boost trade, innovation, growth and empower the Commonwealth’s 1.5 billion young people for a more peaceful and sustainable future.

CHRI’s Submissions/Statements at CHOGM:

1. Independent Forum of Commonwealth Organisations (IFCO) Statement to the Committee of the Whole: As an IFCO member, CHRI contributed to a statement which highlights the shrinking civil society space within the Commonwealth. The statement also highlights the critical role of Commonwealth Accredited Organisations and offers recommendations to improve cooperation and collaboration with Commonwealth member states and institutions. Read the report here.
2. CHRI Statement to the Committee of the Whole: CHRI’s  written submission aims to strengthen the Communiqué, ensuring it is grounded in human rights. Our statement identifies gaps and offers suggestions to enhance the recommendations, with the objective of  making the document more impactful.
3. Statement of the Media Principles Working Group: The Commonwealth Principles on Freedom of Expression and the Role of the Media in Good Governance have been adopted unanimously by Law Ministers and recommended for endorsement by Heads of Government at the upcoming CHOGM in Samoa. Developed over eight years with extensive collaboration of partners including CHRI, these principles emphasise the Commonwealth’s commitment to democratic governance and fundamental rights.
4. Joint Statement on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking: CHRI’s joint civil society statement on modern slavery highlights its connection to the thematic areas of CHOGM 2024. The statement, endorsed by over 250 organisations, calls on Commonwealth states to: strengthen democratic institutions and uphold human rights,; create a resilient environment to combat climate change, thereby addressing the drivers of modern slavery and human trafficking; build resilient economies that support recovery and prosperity; and promote resilient societies to empower individuals for a peaceful and productive life. Read the statement here.

 

CHOGM Forums and Side Events:

1. Women’s Forum (21 October): CHRI will moderate a critical discussion on gender equality to discuss and identify effective initiatives, strategies and programmes to  prevent, reduce and ultimately end VAWG. ​​
2. Commonwealth People’s Forum (CPF) (22 October): CHRI will contribute to a session on Freedom of Expression within the CPF formal agenda.  
3. Commonwealth People’s Forum (CPF): CHRI will participate in the session on - ‘Trade Unions and a Resilient, Rights, and Justice-based Commonwealth’ (22 October) within the CPF formal agenda.
4. Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF): CHRI is participating in the Roundtable on Global Standards; Collaboration and Partnerships.
5. CHOGM Side Event - Protecting Freedom of Speech and Expression in the Commonwealth (23 October): CHRI is leading this side event in partnership with the Commonwealth Journalists Association, International Commission of Jurists, Commonwealth Lawyers Association, the High Level Legal Panel on Freedom of Expression, and the Institute for Commonwealth Studies, with support from the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Government of Canada and the Samoa Ombuds Office/NHRI. We will launch our report on Freedom of Expression and Media Freedoms in the Commonwealth, developed in collaboration with these organisations.
6. CHOGM Side Event: On the Move and at Risk: climate change, human trafficking and the right to safe and healthy working environments in the Commonwealth  (23 October): CHRI wil co-lead this side event in collaboration with CTUG, and IOSH, to discuss workers' occupational health and safety exploring how climate change heightens vulnerabilities to trafficking and exploitation, impacting societal resilience.
7. CHOGM Side Event: Gender Based Violence (GBV) - A joined up approach  (21 October): CHRI will contribute to a session led by the Commonwealth Business Women’s Network on the economic and social impacts of GBV, advocating for the ratification of key international conventions.

• CPF Side Event: Respecting and revitalising the Commonwealth’s commitment to civil society (22 October): CHRI will contribute to this event which will explore and debate recommendations contained in the IFCO Submission to the Committee of the Whole, focusing on strengthening civil society’s role and influence in Commonwealth affairs.

Read our press release here.