President of Barbados, Her Excellency The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason, addressing the opening ceremony of the 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference at the Wyndham Grand Barbados Sam Lord’s Resort, on Tuesday. (C. Pitt/BGIS)
President of Barbados, Her Excellency The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason, has underscored the need for the Commonwealth to place greater emphasis on advocacy and promotion of its work.
Delivering the keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference on Tuesday at the Wyndham Grand Barbados Sam Lord’s Resort, Dame Sandra said the organisation’s efforts must be more widely recognised. The theme for this year’s Conference is Commonwealth – A Global Partner.
Addressing more than 600 delegates from 56 countries, representing a third of the world’s population, the President stated that the work of the Commonwealth “shines as a pragmatic and effective model of positive multilateralism in a world characterised by chaos and extraordinary challenges at different levels.”
She added that as an organisation, it “knows how to get things done without fuss and fanfare” and has successfully built partnerships and achieved consensus even in times of adversity.
Despite these achievements, Dame Sandra acknowledged that many remain unaware of the valuable work being done by the Commonwealth.
“I suggest that, to some extent, the lack of fanfare may be working to our detriment. It has been my experience that those outside of the Commonwealth family are often unsurprisingly unaware of how it functions and what it contributes to the global community. Inside this circle, we are preaching to the converted but on the outside, greater advocacy and education are needed to create a deeper appreciation of the far-reaching benefits that the Commonwealth and institutions like the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) deliver in a cost-effective and inclusive way,” she said.
Dame Sandra also reflected on her long-standing relationship with the Commonwealth, having served as a member of the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association, President of the Commonwealth Secretariat Tribunal, a “proud life member” of the Commonwealth Society of Barbados, and vice-patron of the CPA.
She described the organisation as a beacon promoting fairness, good governance, and the rule of law, while inspiring “countless” individuals to establish similar associations.
Meanwhile, Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey noted that the conference was taking place amid a period of global turmoil. She emphasised that even during such uncertainty, the Commonwealth “stood as a beacon amid the darkness, standing fast to its principles while promoting women and youth.”
“As this moment is defined by uncertainty, the Commonwealth must be defined by purpose. We are 56 nations, one-third of humanity, bound by shared values, democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights and by the conviction that when we stand together, we can turn vulnerability into resilience and opportunity into shared prosperity.”
The conference concludes on Sunday, October 12.
Author: Julie Carrington
Source: https://gisbarbados.gov.bb/blog/greater-promotion-of-commonwealths-work-is-vital/
