Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM)
The supreme body of the Commonwealth is the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Commonwealth Leaders meet every two years in a different Commonwealth country to review global political and economic developments and to take a strategic overview of the Commonwealth’s work in support of its member countries’ interests. The host of each CHOGM takes on the role of Chairman-in-Office for the following two years. The current Chairman-in-Office is President Museveni of Uganda, who hosted the CHOGM in 2007.
In recent years, each CHOGM has adopted a Special Theme. The theme for CHOGM in Kampala in 2007 was “Transforming Societies to achieve Political, Economic and Human Development”. In addition, the Heads of Government in Kampala adopted a stand-alone declaration on climate change known as the Lake Victoria Climate Change Action Plan.
The theme for the Malta CHOGM in 2005 was “Networking the Commonwealth for Development”. At Abuja in 2003, Heads of Government convened under the theme “Development and Democracy: Partnership for Peace and Prosperity”. The theme at Coolum in 2001 was "The Commonwealth in the 21st Century: Continuity and Renewal". At Durban in 1999 Leaders discussed "People-Centred Development: the Challenge of Globalisation" and the focus at Edinburgh in 1997 was on economic issues.
Commonwealth Leaders traditionally take the opportunity of their biennial meetings to review global political and economic developments and consider reports from the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group on the Harare Principles (CMAG) and the Ministerial Group on Small States. They give strategic guidance to the organisation and consider reports from a range of Commonwealth organisations and professional associations.
Biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings also provide Commonwealth Leaders with a forum for informal exchanges and bilateral contact with restricted access for officials. For Australia, it gives us a substantive link and point of commonality with many countries with whom we otherwise have limited bilateral contact.
Commonwealth ministers from a range of portfolios meet between CHOGMs to consider specific issues relating to democracy, economics and development, women’s affairs, youth, legal issues, health and education. These meetings are held in different Commonwealth countries each year and are chaired by the relevant minister from the host government.
Dates and venues of CHOGMs include:
- 2011 to be hosted by the Government of Sri Lanka
- 2009 to be hosted by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago
- 2007 Uganda
- 2005 Malta
- 2003 Abuja
- 2002 Coolum (postponed from October 2001)
- 1999 Durban
- 1997 Edinburgh
- 1995 Auckland
- 1993 Limmasol
- 1991 Harare
- 1989 Kuala Lumpur
- 1987 Vancouver
- 1985 Nassau
- 1983 New Delhi
- 1981 Melbourne
- 1979 Lusaka
- 1977 London
- 1975 Kingston
- 1973 Ottawa
- 1971 Singapore