Malta today celebrates Commonwealth Day – a yearly occasion for remembering our fellow members of the organisation spread across the four corners of the world.  

Our Commonwealth is an excellent example of the interdependent world in which we live, uniting a wide diversity of peoples, cultures and countries which nevertheless share a common language and heritage.  We also share principles and values that are at the core of the Commonwealth.  And yet there continues to be inequality between and within the member countries.  Some Commonwealth countries are still afflicted by the scourge of the HIV/AIDs pandemic, deep poverty and lack of opportunity for its youth.  Social and environmental degradation are the daily way of life for some people.  Long-term debt, poor market access and lack of capital flows coupled by the negative effects of globalisation mean that some Commonwealth countries see little hope of improvement in their standards-of-living.  

This year’s special theme – “Building a Commonwealth of Freedom ” – chosen to mark Commonwealth Day, should make us pause and reflect on how we, as a family of members, can free ourselves from these debilitating problems.  Indeed the special theme addresses a central purpose of the Commonwealth’s raison d’être.  

Freedom is the right to enjoy life with dignity, the growth of the individual.  It is the commitment to civil societies, the rule of law and freedom of expression.  The Commonwealth has shown and continues to show commitment towards these noble tenets through its various declarations and communiqués.  The Commonwealth Heads of Government at their summit in Abuja , Nigeria ‘reaffirmed their commitment to the fundamental political values of the Commonwealth as set out in the Singapore and Harare Declarations and subsequent CHOGM Communiqués, and reinforced by the Millbrook Action Programme’.  They noted their obligation to ‘non-racism, international peace and security, democracy, good governance, human rights, the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary, freedom of expression, and a political culture that promotes transparency, accountability and economic development’.  These commitments reflect the spirit and steadfast purpose of the Commonwealth.

Malta believes in the Commonwealth’s future and its values.  It understands that ‘a Commonwealth of Freedom ’ is not only an honourable target, but also a tangible one.  In recent years, Malta has been and is successfully promoting the concept of the bridging of the digital divide since it believes that only through empowering peoples can they truly attain their freedom and development.  Although the challenge is multifaceted and daunting, Malta finds that the diversities of the Commonwealth are also its strengths.  

The Commonwealth can continue to grow and make a positive difference in the lives of its peoples.  It is through international co-operation that new generations of free-thinking individuals are born, unshackled by stifled economies and societies.  Our membership of the Commonwealth means that we are committed to upholding its values and to working with people from all walks of life to advance the association’s goals of democracy, good governance and sustainable development.  Only when we achieve this, can we truly say that we have built ‘A Commonwealth of Freedom’ where equality and advancement are simply part of the equation.  Looking back and appreciating how far the Commonwealth has come in the last fifty years, surely provides us with great hope for the future.  

                                                                                             Eddie Fenech Adami

Commonwealth Day message from H.M. The Queen

Doi – 08.03.2004