Commonwealth heads of government meeting to begin on Monday

LONDON, Apr 14 (APP):The United Kingdom (UK) will host five-day Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)-2018 here from Monday (April 16), with the theme of “towards a common future” focusing to address common challenges across the Commonwealth and work to deliver a more prosperous, secure, sustainable and fair future for its 2.4 billion citizens.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will lead Pakistani delegation in the biennial event, which will bring together heads of government, foreign ministers and thousands of delegates from across our 53 Commonwealth nations.
Ahead of the formal Heads of Government Meeting on Thursday and Friday, the week will begin with three days of forums on Business, Women, People and Youth (Monday to Wednesday April 16-18) .
The Youth, Women’s and People’s Forums will take place at The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in Westminster while the Business Forum will be held at Guildhall in London. The forums offer a unique platform for the people of the Commonwealth to come together to address shared challenges and help frame the discussions of leaders.
Up to 2,000 representatives from business, civil society, youth-led organisations and governments will meet to discuss and raise the issues of most importance to their citizens. For the first time, all four forums will come together under one roof on Tuesday l at the QEII Centre. A number of high-profile speakers are expected to take part throughout the three days.
The UK will host a reception, curated by the GREAT Britain campaign, to showcase the best of the country’s export examples through music, sport and technology. This will include the Premier League trophy, the men and women’s Cricket World Cup trophies, and food and drink sourced from across the whole of the UK. Alongside this, exhibits from the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange will also be put on display.
On April 18 (Wednesday), the UK Foreign Secretary will host Commonwealth foreign ministers as they undertake the preparatory work on the key themes for the Heads of Government meeting.
Thursday (April 19) will mark the start of the Heads of Government programme. The Mall, Parliament Square and Windsor will be lined with the flags of the Commonwealth as heads of government, foreign ministers and guests gather in Buckingham Palace. Those travelling in and around the area can expect to see ceremonial elements, including a Commonwealth Guard of Honour and a 53-gun salute.
Following this, the heads of government will be welcomed by UK Prime Minister Theresa May and Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland, before starting the executive sessions at Lancaster House.
Working sessions, which will be chaired by the UK Prime Minister, will focus on the key priorities of the summit – prosperity, security, sustainability and fairness, the sources said.
On Thursday evening, the Queen will host a dinner for leaders and their spouses at Buckingham Palace. The UK Foreign Secretary will also host a dinner for his counterparts.
In keeping with Commonwealth tradition on the final day of the summit, the heads of government will gather at Windsor Castle for the Leaders’ Retreat. This is designed to allow frank dialogue. On the conclusion of the Retreat, a communique will be published which will include the decisions and commitments that leaders have made.