Friday, March 29, 2024

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland to visit Zambia

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Patricia Scotland
Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland

 
Secretary-General Patricia Scotland is scheduled to visit Lusaka from 7-10 August, and in meetings with government officials and other stakeholders will reaffirm the Commonwealth’s support to the people of Zambia.

The Secretary-General’s visit offers opportunities to build on longstanding engagement with Zambia as a member state of the Commonwealth. Over the years, support provided through the Commonwealth Secretariat has spanned the political, economic and judicial sectors. During last year’s general elections, the Secretary-General deployed a peace envoy and a Commonwealth Observer Group to the country.  The Commonwealth is committed to supporting peaceful dialogue and political cohesion in Zambia following the elections.

Secretary-General Scotland said: “The aim of my visit is to highlight the important place Zambia occupies in the Commonwealth family and to promote inclusiveness and resilience.  Zambia is known as a beacon of tolerance, equality, stability and peace within our Commonwealth family and beyond. It is important for all national stakeholders to uphold and adhere to these values – to which we are committed in our Commonwealth Charter. The famous Lusaka Declaration – a seminal document condemning Racism, Racial Prejudice, Discrimination and Inequality – was signed by Commonwealth Heads of Government in 1979 at a meeting that was hosted by Zambia. This declaration contributed to the independence of Zimbabwe and ultimately South Africa.”

The Secretary-General’s engagement is in line with the 2017 Commonwealth theme ‘A peace-building Commonwealth’. On this, she reiterated: “Our theme this year is about building peace at all levels of society, by all stakeholders in society. While political leaders, government agencies, the media and civil society play a critical role in achieving and sustaining peace and cohesion, it is a collective responsibility which requires the constructive engagement of every citizen.”

The Secretary-General’s visit will also focus on Commonwealth priorities including climate change; preparations for the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in the United Kingdom; and empowering young people, women and girls.  

After her visit to Zambia, the Secretary-General will travel to Tanzania and Mozambique to continue her peace and relationship-building tour.

10 COMMENTS

  1. UPNDonkeys, if you are not cowards, here is your chance to question the Commonwealth Election Observer Mission’s declaration of Zambia’s elections last August as free and fair. These are the people to engage and NOT those chamber pots Malema, Mmusu Maimane, NUMSA etc ati international contacts! What’s wrong with you Donkeys?

    By the way, just noticed that Malema sounds like (Hichi)lema famously known as underfive. Coincidence or relation?

    • HAS ZAMBIA CEASED TO BE A CHRISTIAN NATION? OUR LEADERS HAVE SUDDENLY BECOME SILENT ABOUT IT. WHY? DON’T WE NEED CHRIST ANY MORE? HAVE WE BECOME SOMEBODY’S ELSE’S NATION NOT CHRIST ANYMORE??

    • what common wealth when only britain is enjoying. get out of here with that nonsense ba fiwa imwe. ifwe visas you deny us, but you fly into africa and else practically with no visas. you can even get them upon arrival at the airport. can a zambian get a visa at heathrwow. and to see it is a black woman who is secretary general. busy in the persecution of her people. what a wate of your africaness

    • They are cowards to confront African issues. There is a new silent Western policy that there are certain acceptable levels of mediocrity in governance and dictatorial tendencies that are tolerable in African states….. this is also because of our own low standards of what we expect from our leaders to the point that in countries like Zambia we even benchmark ati we are far better than Zimbabwe. So it is the west telling us that this is the best we can do and thus a govt like Humbly Dumbly’s is fairly high standards and this visit should not be seen for more than anything else but a stamp of appreciation of our acceptance of this

  2. This may be the occasion, too, when the Minister of Higher Education and CEO’s of our well established public and private Universities should seek guidance as to how a University in Europe or Dubai or Nigeria got itself named as the*Commonwealth University*. This is taking into account that Universities within the British-linked Commonwealth of Nations strive to set universal academic standards and generate Commonwealth Scholarships tenable to to universities located in member states of the Commonwealth. The University that sold a PhD Certificate to GBM must be directed to rename its institution – rather than tarnish the integrity of Universities in the Commonwealth of Nations.

  3. This commonwealth thing has outlived its usefulness. First of all there is no common wealth, we are all on our own, and I wonder how many zambians this commonwealth org. has employed. Its time we started withdrawing from redundant treaties and organizations that simply make a few of our reps feel like “we belong” . Lets move on, there are far better things to do that pretend we are sharing the common wealth.

    • There is plenty of Grants from the Commonwealth and we all know Zambians have the biggest begging cups, easy money no work required. did i say work that’s a bad word in Zambia.

  4. @cosmos, typical Zambian mentality hoping to thrive on charity and belonging to or conforming to an organisation. We ought to start thinking outside the box. Think of how resourceful we may be if we were not expecting any grants from anyone. You are right my brother, we have the biggest begging cups.

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