… celebration to be presided by King Charles III
Nigeria is joining 55 other member states of the Commonwealth to commemorate the 2023 Commonwealth Day on Monday, 13 March (today).
This year’s Commonwealth Day, themed ‘Forging a Sustainable and Peaceful Common Future’, aims to unite 2.5 billion Commonwealth citizens in celebration of their shared values and principles, and in pursuit of a common future, centred on sustainability and peace.
A press release by the Commonwealth Secretariat said the day will be celebrated with observances, speeches, exhibitions and cultural events across the 56 Commonwealth member countries.
This year’s celebration will be presided over by His Majesty King Charles III as King and Head of the Commonwealth. It is the first Commonwealth Day he would preside over since his accession to the English throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, last year.
The day will also mark the tenth anniversary of the signing of the Commonwealth Charter, which outlines the values and principles that unify the 56 Commonwealth countries, representing one-third of humanity.
In Nigeria, the day was preceded by several activities, like the commemoration quiz competition which took place at the Conference Hall of the Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja, in which some private and public schools including Federal Unity Colleges within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and its environs participated, Commonwealth Youth Lecture, and dress rehearsal.
Malam Adamu Adamu, Minister of Education, who briefed newsmen in Abuja on activities lined up for the commemoration of the 2023 Commonwealth Day, said Nigeria will always continue to maximize the dividends of being part of the supportive community of 56 member nations across Africa, Asia, America, the Caribbean Europe and the Pacific.
In her Commonwealth Day Message, Commonwealth Secretary-General Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, paid tribute to the late Queen for her seven decades of service and welcomed His Majesty The King for his first Commonwealth Day as the new Head of the Commonwealth. She also spoke on the role of the Commonwealth.
“We stand together now to face the challenges of the moment and seize the opportunities of tomorrow. Where there is violence and conflict, we work for peace. Where there is insecurity, we protect the culture, process and institutions of democracy. Where there is poverty, we tackle it. Where there is injustice, we challenge it,” Scotland said.
“Where our brothers and sisters have their lives threatened and disrupted by the impacts of climate change, we stand with them, working tirelessly for climate action and a more sustainable world. I believe profoundly that our family of 56 nations and 2.5 billion people is stronger, more vibrant, more connected and more purposeful than ever,” she said.
Drawing attention to the growing co-operation within the Commonwealth at a time of polarisation, Scotland said the unique qualities and advantages of the Commonwealth member states mean that the Commonwealth in 2023 is not simply a part of the international system, it is a beacon within it.
“These qualities shine in the fact that, with a multilateral system under strain, the Commonwealth is growing, precisely because of what we stand for and what we can deliver,” Scotland said.
“So, on this tenth anniversary of our [Commonwealth] Charter, as we renew our commitment to its values and to each other, let us resolve together to ensure that in the years to come, we make the peaceful and sustainable common future we all strive for a reality for the whole Commonwealth,” she said.
The Commonwealth Secretariat said as part of this year’s celebration, cities around the Commonwealth would host inter-faith, multi-cultural observances to mark the day. It said one of the largest gatherings would be the traditional service at Westminster Abbey in London which would be attended by The King, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, senior government officials, other dignitaries and hundreds of young people.
At the service, the theme would be expressed through musical performances, testimonies and readings from individuals representing several Commonwealth countries, including ‘Amalgamation Choir’, an all-female choir from Cyprus, the Secretariat said.
Commonwealth Day has been celebrated on the second Monday in March every year since 1977. In recent years, there has been a shift away from a single-day observance towards a full-week celebration, with Commonwealth Day as its focal point.
This year, as part of the Commonwealth of Nations Flag for Peace initiative, each Commonwealth country and every UK city will receive a flag, which they can raise on Commonwealth Day in celebration of the values of the Commonwealth Charter, including democracy, human rights, sustainable development, equality and respect.
Parliamentarians, mayors and high commissioners in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Americas, the Pacific and Europe will also mark the day with various activities, including speeches and cultural events.
The Commonwealth Secretariat has also produced a special quiz for students to learn more about the modern Commonwealth and its diverse membership. Schools around the Commonwealth can download and use the quiz free of charge.
The Commonwealth, a voluntary association of 56 independent and equal sovereign states, has a combined population of 2.5 billion, more than 60 percent of who are aged 29 or below.
