On Friday, June 24th, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih attended the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting's official opening ceremony (CHOGM). The Kigali Convention Center in Kigali, Rwanda, served as the venue for the ceremony. President Solih was accompanied by First Lady Fazna Ahmed.
The CHOGM, which took place from June 20–25, 2022, brought together representatives from 54 countries from Africa, the Caribbean and Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific in an effort to strengthen multilateral cooperation, investigate new possibilities, and tackle problems that all future generations will face. High-level meetings of the delegates will be held after the formal opening to discuss collaboration on issues like trade, health, and climate. Four forums, ministerial gatherings, side events, and other events are also part of the CHOGM.
Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming is the CHOGM 2022 theme. President Solih's participation reinforces his administration's ongoing dedication to working with international fora on common objectives like democracy, peace, and prosperity. It also symbolizes the Maldives' involvement in efforts by the international community to boost collaboration on issues like environmental protection, trade expansion, support for democracy, and gender equality and education. Additionally, he used this chance to elevate the voice of the small island states on a global stage.
On July 9, 1982, the Maldives initially joined the Commonwealth of Nations; on October 13, 2016, they withdrew their membership. On February 1, 2020, the Commonwealth approved the Maldives' request for re-admission, welcoming it as the organization's 54th member and fulfilling one of this administration's major campaign promises.
Every two years, the CHOGM was scheduled for June 2020, but the Covid-19 pandemic forced two postponements. The first CHOGM to take place since the Maldives was once again admitted to the network is CHOGM 2022. There are 2.5 million people living in the 54 Commonwealth nations, 25 of which are small island developing states.