UK still undecided on CHOGM

by admin
Jan 22, 2013
The British government has stated that it is “too early” to decide on whether or not they will be attending this year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka this year.

The statement was made in response to a Foreign Affairs Committee report, entitled “The role and future of the Commonwealth”, which called on British Prime Minister David Cameron to boycott the event.

In an official response, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs said,
“We note the Committee’s recommendation on the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka in 2013. We recognise, and share, the concerns of the Committee about the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, particularly in light of the recent dismissal of the Chief Justice following an impeachment process the Sri Lankan Supreme Court ruled illegal.

We look to Sri Lanka, as with any other CHOGM host, to demonstrate its commitment to upholding Commonwealth values of good governance and respect for human rights as we have stated publicly. It will also be important that delegations, civil society and media are able to travel and report freely.

The concerns of the UK and the wider international community on human rights are regularly relayed to the Government of Sri Lanka. These include issues of media freedom, the need to address longstanding issues of accountability and reconciliation after the war, and the importance of judicial independence. These messages will be reiterated by Alistair Burt, FCO Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, when he next visits Sri Lanka, and in the context of our expectations for CHOGM.

It is, however, too early to make decisions about UK attendance at CHOGM. Decisions on attendance are for each Commonwealth member government to take for itself.”
See the full response to the report here.

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