{"id":96010,"date":"2018-09-26T09:03:00","date_gmt":"2018-09-26T09:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=d91dc19cbc01b5cd94b0c256059b3381"},"modified":"2018-09-26T09:03:00","modified_gmt":"2018-09-26T09:03:00","slug":"press-release-foreign-secretary-celebrates-commonwealth-progress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=96010","title":{"rendered":"Press release: Foreign Secretary celebrates Commonwealth progress"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In his first major Commonwealth event since becoming Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt hosted a reception for the 52 Foreign Ministers of the Commonwealth in the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York on 25 September 2018.<\/p>\n

Mr Hunt welcomed progress by Commonwealth countries on the commitments they made at the Commonwealth Heads of Government<\/a> meeting (CHOGM) in April.<\/p>\n

Since CHOGM, the UK and Kenya have hosted the Global Disability Summit; Vanuatu became the first country in the world to enact a ban on a range of single-use plastics, with other states including India following suit; the Commonwealth SheTrades programme has launched in Ghana, Kenya, Bangladesh and Nigeria, with over 1300 women entrepreneurs now registered.<\/p>\n

The Foreign Secretary also announced a \u00a31.8 million UK contribution to the Commonwealth\u2019s electoral observation programme.<\/p>\n

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:<\/p>\n

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The Commonwealth is responding to the global challenges of today, from climate change to economic protectionism.<\/p>\n

Five months on from the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in London, the 53 countries of the Commonwealth are taking forward real action on their commitments to a fairer, more secure, more sustainable and prosperous future.<\/p>\n

The Commonwealth is a unique organisation and a champion for the rules-based international system – but it must be seen to deliver, and then keep delivering.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Minister for the Commonwealth Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon said:<\/p>\n

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The Commonwealth, through its organisations and its member states, large and small, developed and developing, is a force to be reckoned with.<\/p>\n

During the next two years when the UK is Chair-in-Office, we are determined to work closely with our partners to keep up the momentum, to revitalise and reform the Commonwealth for the 21st century.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Foreign Secretary will be chairing a Commonwealth Foreign Ministers meeting, where discussions will include progress on the Commonwealth Blue Charter; increasing intra-Commonwealth trade; addressing cyber security threats, and reform of the Commonwealth Secretariat to ensure it is efficient and delivering for its member states.<\/p>\n

Further information<\/h3>\n