Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena handed the position of Commonwealth Chair in Office to Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat at the meeting.
The summit which was originally designated to be hosted by Mauritius, was given instead to Malta when the Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam refused to attend the 2013 CHOGM over the human rights situation prevailing in the host country, Sri Lanka, and thus withdrew as the host of the 2015 summit as protocol had required him to attend the summit in order to personally invite other member states
Sitting (left to right) are Sri Lankan President Maithriipala Sirisena, Malta Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, British Queen Elizabeth II and Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma for the family photo of the Commonwealth Heads of State at the CHOGM opening ceremony at the Mediterranean Conference Centre on Friday near Valletta, Malta.
Commonwealth leaders agree to set up climate change hub
Commonwealth leaders have agreed to set up a climate
change hub to facilitate access to funds for the small and poor
countries, a decision which is in sync with India’s demand for providing
adequate financial resources to developing nations to reduce green
house gas emissions.
The decision to set up the hub
by Commonwealth, a bloc of 53 countries, came days before world leaders
meet at the crucial climate change summit in Paris eyeing an ambitious
goal of significantly limiting global warming.
Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of 53 independent and sovereign states
Countries by Region
Africa
Caribbean and Americas
Europe
The Commonwealth was first officially formed in 1931 when the Statute of Westminister gave legal recognition to the sovereignty of dominions. Known as the "British Commonwealth", the original members were theUnited Kingdom,Canada,Australia,New Zealand,South Africa,Ireland and Newfoundland, although Australia and New Zealand did not adopt the statute until 1942 and 1947 respectively
Presently, of the states that are members of the Commonwealth of Nations, 3 are in Europe, 12 in North America, 1 in South America, 18 in Africa, 8 in Asia, and 11 in Oceania
There are 7 former members, 4 of which no longer exist as independent entities (but form part of current member states)
The members have a combined population of 2.2 billion people, almost a third of the world population, of which 1.21 billion live in India, and 95% live in Asia and Africa combined
Flags wave on a balcony of the Mediterranean Conference Centre where the Commonwealth heads of Government meeting is scheduled to open in Valletta
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire arrive for the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull and his wife Lucy arrive for the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
Sri Lanka's President Sirisena and his wife Jayanthi arrive for the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government
Meeting
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall arrive at the opening ceremony for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta, Malta
The Queen and Malta's Prime Minister Muscat arrive at the opening ceremony for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta, Malta
The Queen delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta
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