By Mark Malloch Brown
As the UK’s Minister with responsibility for the Commonwealth, I will be 
attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) along with the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and three other members of the UK Government.
CHOGM presents a unique opportunity to bring together Leaders and Ministers from throughout the Commonwealth to discuss issues which are not just of importance to the Commonwealth, but which are of global significance. The Government of Uganda, who are hosting the event, have chosen the theme “Transformation of Commonwealth Societies to achieve Political, Economic and Human Development”. Under that wider theme, we will be discussing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Climate Change, Trade, and Education. These are all key issues, which we believe need to be tackled head on if the poorest countries of the Commonwealth are to develop. And we firmly believe that the Commonwealth itself has an important role to play in these issues. As a unique grouping of countries from across the globe, with a fundamental set of principles in common, we, the Commonwealth, cut across traditional regional and economic groupings and can move the debate forward and take action on such issues of critical importance.
Civil society has an important role to play too. The Commonwealth People’s Forum, is an excellent opportunity to raise the visibility of civil society. Focussing on the theme of “Realising People’s Potential”, Ugandan and pan-Commonwealth organisations will discuss key issues such as democracy and development. Their views will then be presented to Heads of Government at CHOGM.
My best wishes for a successful Forum. I look forward to hearing the outcomes.
I thank the author of this article which specifically captures what Mallouch Brown spoke about people’s participation in governance of the commonwealth countries. The commonwealth forum is envisaged to assess the extent to which commonwealth countries have strived to achieve the MDGs (Millenium Development Goals)since 2015 is not very distant.
In my view, the 2007 Commonwealth forum was well packaged in such a way that all actors are represented (women, youth, business, civil society, etc) and are all discussing pertinent issues right from climatic change, HIV/AIDS to rights of women, youth and other minority groups.
The business forum is also envisaged to tackle low labour productivity in some commonwealth countries as well as tariff and non-tariff barriers that impede intra-regional trade as advanced by President Kagame yesterday (20th November, 2007).
The author also agrees that social transformation may not be forthcoming if there are low levels of people’s participation, prompting a need for civil society organisations to champion the cause of some minority groups who may not be heard.
It is my prayer that at the end of CHOGM, the pertinent issues raised by the different actors will have been discussed and solutions sought.
People in other parts of Uganda they would have loved and interacred with delegates,they were dissappointed because most of the activities was centralised in Kampala.
Now that the commonwealth head of summit is over what tangible follow up action is on for what has been deliberated on for the poor who survive on less than 1$ aday