By Patriot Corps
Uganda’s Vice President, H.E. Maj. (Rtd) Jessica Alupo, has arrived in Apia, Samoa to represent President Yoweri Museveni at the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), scheduled from October 21 to 26. She was warmly received at Faleolo International Airport by Samoa’s Minister of Finance, Hon. Lautimuia Uelese Va’ai, and Hon. Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Scientific Research. Also in attendance were Uganda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Okello Oryem, and Uganda’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, H.E. Nimisha Madhvani.
The summit, hosted under the theme “One Resilient Common Future: Transforming Our Commonwealth,” will feature addresses from Samoa’s Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Naomi Mata’afa, outgoing Commonwealth Secretary-General, Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland, and His Majesty King Charles III, the Head of the Commonwealth. Key priorities include building resilient economies for recovery and prosperity, addressing the challenges of climate change, strengthening democratic institutions, and improving global livelihoods.
The meeting will bring together around 5,000 delegates from the 56 member states, representing a combined population of 2.7 billion people. Various forums Women, Youth, Business, and People’s are already in progress, laying the groundwork for further discussions on enhancing intra-Commonwealth trade, tourism, and investment opportunities.
During the summit, a new Commonwealth Secretary-General will be chosen, with candidates from Lesotho, Ghana, and Gambia in the running. The official opening is set for October 25, followed by executive sessions and a retreat on October 26, where Vice President Alupo is expected to deliver President Museveni’s message to the assembly.
Leaders will adopt several key documents, including a Communiqué, a Commonwealth Ocean Declaration, and a Declaration on Reparatory Justice, signaling the group’s commitment to a more sustainable, equitable future. The gathering will assess the progress made since the last CHOGM in Rwanda and outline strategies for the Commonwealth’s shared prosperity moving forward.