Belize at CHOG Meeting 2022

By
Aiman Iqbal
-
446
Belize at CHOGM22
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2022

Kigali, 25 June 2022 (TDI): Belize participated in the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM2022) that began on Monday, 20th of June, and is scheduled to close on Sunday, 26th of June.

The official opening of the meeting commenced on 24th June, which was proceeded by different meetings of the ministers. Belize assured its remarkable representation throughout the event. Moreover, it expressed its willingness to cooperate in the matters of climate actions and debt management, at the conference with the Foreign Ministers.


CHOGM 2022

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting takes place every two years, where leaders of commonwealth countries meet to discuss pertinent issues. For the year 2022, the theme of CHOGM is “Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating and Transforming”.

Under this theme, 54 member countries of the Commonwealth Family aim to achieve their goal of protecting natural resources and boosting trade by ‘connecting, innovating and transforming.’ After the official opening of the CHOGM 2022 meeting, the main high-level meetings commenced. These meetings are proceeded by ministerial meetings, Forums, side events, and other events.

Representation of Belize

A remarkable representation of Belize was ensured by Foreign Minister Eamon Courtenay and High Commissioner Therese Rath. From the very beginning of this week-long meeting, Foreign Minister Courtenay met with different Foreign Ministers of other states and held key discussions.

Meeting with State Foreign Minister of Maldives:

Firstly, on the 20th of June, Eamon Courtenay met Ahmed Khaleel, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs of Maldives, and discussed initiatives like the adoption of a universal vulnerability index. The meeting took place on the sidelines of CHOGM.


Meeting with Foreign Minister of New Zealand: 

Secondly, on June 22, Eamon Courtenay met Nanaia Mahuta, Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand, and discussed commonwealth integration along with issues pertaining to climate change.


Meeting with Foreign Minister of Rwanda: 

Thirdly, on the same day, Foreign Minister Eamon Courtenay met Vincent Biruta, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Rwanda, and discussed areas of bilateral action.


Meeting with Foreign Secretary of Kenya:

Fourthly, a meeting took place with the Foreign Secretary of Kenya. Of all these endeavors, the establishment of diplomatic relations between Belize and Kenya became the highlight. Both the countries seek to expand engagement in different areas through multinational organizations.


Meeting with Foreign Minister of India:  

Lastly, on the 23rd of June, the Foreign Minister met with Dr. S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India. They discussed various areas of engagement between India and the CARICOM for the future of the Commonwealth.


Friday’s breakfast meeting:  

In addition to the individual meetings, the Foreign Minister of Belize highlighted key matters like the language on climate action, sustainable development as well as debt management, with other Foreign Ministers at the conference on Friday. Apart from that, a sideline breakfast meeting was also attended by the Foreign Minister to discuss the language of the Commonwealth Communique.