The Commonwealth appears to be at a crossroads, as Prince Charles pleads for a new relationship between the nations and the Crown and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tries to bring together a divided group of leaders.
The Prince of Wales opened the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda on Friday, reflecting on his roots, which “go deep into the most painful time in our history”, speaking of the lasting impact of slavery.
He offered Canada as an example to follow. He urged participants to learn from Canada’s Indigenous reconciliation efforts and learn from the past.
The heir to the throne added that he and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cambridge, were deeply touched during their stay in Canada last month by the testimonies of representatives of indigenous and non-indigenous peoples who he said said, launched an honest reflection on the darkest moments of their shared history.
“As difficult as this conversation may be, people across Canada are approaching it with courage and unwavering commitment, determined to lay the foundations of respect and understanding on which a better future can be built,” the prince said. Charles at the opening ceremony.
“It seems to me that there are lessons to be learned from this for our Commonwealth family,” he added.
Prince Charles was in Rwanda to represent his mother, Queen Elizabeth, and is to take over the Commonwealth after her.
Several absent
Although the heads of the 54 Commonwealth governments have not met for four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several prominent leaders have chosen not to attend meetings this week. This includes Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who both opted to attend a virtual summit with Russia, China and Brazil instead.
New Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, whose government has expressed aspirations to sever ties with the monarchy, also stayed home.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has said this is not a path Canada wants to take.
“We know the monarchy is a source of stability,” she told reporters. There is so much instability in the world right now that Canadians expect us to deal with many other issues. »
In his opening speech, Prince Charles told the assembly that each country is free to determine its own constitutional relationship with the Crown, opening the door to nations like Australia whose governments aspire to form a republic.
He also stressed that historical ties to the British monarchy are no longer a condition of Commonwealth membership. Rwanda is not a former colony, but joined the association voluntarily in 2009.
The modern version of the Commonwealth was established as a collection of independent nations in 1949, just a few years before the Queen began her reign.
Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland spoke about the Queen’s vision for the Commonwealth in her address to leaders. In the face of inflation, global conflict and the impacts of the global pandemic, Ms Scotland said it was imperative that the Queen’s vision endure.
“It won’t be easy. We must trust each other. We need to talk to each other, listen to each other and give everything we have to achieve progress for the 2.5 billion people we all represent,” she said.
Meanwhile, Mr Trudeau has also tried to influence the future direction of the Commonwealth in his own way, in a series of executive and bilateral meetings with his international counterparts.
He sat down for a one-on-one meeting with Rwandan President and summit host Paul Kagame. Mr Trudeau continued along the lines of the Prince of Wales’ speech of confronting and overcoming the past and reflected on his visit to the Kigali genocide memorial.
He said he had the privilege to visit the site, “but also to see how Rwanda has developed over the past few years”.
The Russian invasion in Ukraine
Trudeau’s goal is to rally Commonwealth countries behind Canada’s climate goals and his vision for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
A scheduled meeting with the chairman of the commission that serves as the secretariat of the African Union, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has been postponed.
The African Union has been at the center of a bitter fight from Ukraine and Russia for its support, as the war continues in Ukraine, leading to a global spike in fuel costs and grain shortages.
Mr. Trudeau also met with the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, who praised Canada’s action against climate change, and the newly elected Zambian President, Hakainde Hichilema.
On Saturday, leaders will attend a retreat for most of the day before closing the summit. Then, Mr. Trudeau is expected to fly to Germany where he will attend the G7 in the Bavarian Alps.