Summary
The Commonwealth Summit takes place in London between 16 and 20 April. It will be the first time in more than 20 years that the UK has hosted this biennial gathering of the Commonwealth Heads of Government. This is a once-in-a-generation event.
The Summit should be the start of a process rather than an end in itself. During the Summit, the UK will assume the Commonwealth Chair-in-Office until 2020. It is imperative that it begins with clear aims for what the UK wants to achieve by the end of its tenure in 2020, with a credible strategy, specific objectives and metrics for success.
The FCO should also produce a statement of the Government’s long-term vision for the UK’s relationship with the Commonwealth, and clarify what the 52 other members can expect from a ‘Global Britain’. It should set out how it will lead the cross-Government relationship with the Commonwealth and how the work of other Departments will feed into this strategy. The FCO should also explain what it will do to build a Commonwealth caucus in the UN, and what assessments it has made of the resources that will be needed beyond 2020 to achieve the Government’s stated goal of rejuvenating the Commonwealth.
Published: 5 April 2018