Queen’s presence at CHOGM ‘proves Commonwealth’s relevance’

British High Commissioner to Malta Rob Luke calls on Commonwealth countries to use CHOGM to tackle youth radicalisation, reach a common agreement on climate change  

British High Commissioner Rob Luke (left) with Saviour Balzan on Reporter
British High Commissioner Rob Luke (left) with Saviour Balzan on Reporter

Queen Elizabeth II’s presence at the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting will grant the summit “an extra impetus”, the British High Commissioner to Malta said.

“The Queen is a figure around whom all 53 Commonwealth countries can congregate, and her presence at the CHOGM will prove the Commonwealth’s relevance,” Rob Luke said on Monday’s edition of Reporter. “Her presence will hopefully increase the chances of the CHOGM resulting in outcomes that will improve people’s lives.”

Luke sounded an upbeat tone on the Commonwealth’s relevance, insisting that the organisation can have a “real impact” on global issues such as climate change.

“We must demonstrate that the Commonwealth can be something greater than the sum of its parts, and this is a real opportunity for the 53 countries to reach an agreement on climate change that could lead to a snowball effect at next week’s UN climate change summit,” he said.

He also called on the Commonwealth countries to utilize the “vitality” of its youth to prevent them from being radicalized.

“60% of the Commonwealth’s population is younger than 20 years old, and we must develop programmes that utilize that energy and vitality,” he said. “We must take a comprehensive approach to terrorism and find out why some people want to cause harm to our society. However, while the threat is that of Islamic extremism, we mustn’t conflate Islam as a faith with the acts of criminals, just as we shouldn’t conflate Christianity with people who distort the Christian faith.”  

When questioned by host Saviour Balzan on the presence of undemocratic Commonwealth nations with poor human rights records, Luke insisted that all 53 member states adhere to “core Commonwealth values”.

“The Commonwealth had taken a joint stance against apartheid in South Africa,” he recounted. “Of course, we should hold governments to account and provide them with the necessary tools to help them improve their human rights records. At the CHOGM, Malta will share its experiences of economic successes to other small nations.”