More than half the Commonwealth members are small countries like Samoa, many face significant, some even existential, threats from rising seas….reports Asian Lite News
Commonwealth countries on Saturday adopted their first ocean declaration during their summit held for the first time in the Pacific island nation of Samoa as calls from some of Britain’s former colonies for reparatory justice for the trans-Atlantic slave trade grew louder.
The Apia Ocean Declaration was announced during the closing session of the 27th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, or CHOGM, and calls on all 56 Commonwealth nations to protect the ocean in the face of severe climate, pollution and over-exploitation.
More than half the Commonwealth members are small countries like Samoa, many face significant, some even existential, threats from rising seas.
While the environmental threat was foreshadowed as a predominant theme going into the summit, the transatlantic slave trade from Britain’s colonial history dominated the discourse through the opening days.
“A line in the sand” declaration, The Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration for One Resilient Common focuses on recognizing maritime boundaries amid sea-level rise, protecting 30 percent of oceans and restoring degraded marine ecosystems by 2030, and urgently finalizing the Global Plastics Treaty.
It also calls for ratifying the high-seas biodiversity treaty, developing coastal climate adaptation plans, and strengthening support for sustainable blue economies.
Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa said in a statement released by her office that it was fitting for “our first ocean declaration” to be adopted “in the Blue Pacific continent given climate change has been recognized as the single greatest threat to the security and well-being of our people.” The Commonwealth represents a third of the world’s population, and 49 of its 56 countries have a coastline.
Meanwhile, Commonwealth’s 56 members agreed the “time has come” for talks about the legacy of the “abhorrent” transatlantic slave trade Saturday, in a landmark summit declaration that raised the prospect of future reparations.
Gathering in Samoa, leaders from Britain and dozens of former colonies held lengthy and occasionally tense talks over one of the most sensitive aspects of their shared and troubled past.
In a joint statement, Commonwealth leaders noted calls for “reparatory justice” for the “abhorrent” transatlantic slave trade and the “enduring effects” of dispossessing Indigenous people, indentureship and colonialism.
“The time has come for a meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation toward forging a common future based on equity,” a joint “Samoa Communique” said.
African, Caribbean and Pacific nations want Britain — and other colonial powers — to atone for slavery and other ills of colonization, and to start talks about compensation.
Many remain poorer than their one-time colonial masters and are still scarred by the brutal trade that saw an estimated 10-15 million enslaved people ripped from Africa over four centuries.
While Britain has expressed remorse for slavery in broad terms, London has baulked at the idea of paying financial reparations, which could come with a hefty price tag.
During the summit, London tried to avoid making explicit commitments while trying to retain some semblance of Commonwealth unity.
“I should be really clear here, in the two days we’ve been here, none of the discussions have been about money,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said after the meeting.
“Our position is very, very clear in relation to that,” he said, insisting talks had been “very positive.”
The meeting’s conclusion was delayed for hours as leaders and officials tried to hammer out a compromise.
The final text may be more vague and legalistic than some former colonies wanted.
During the summit, Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis said it was time for “a real dialogue about how we address these historical wrongs.”
“The horrors of slavery left a deep, generational wound in our communities, and the fight for justice and reparatory justice is far from over.”
But one expert said the summit could come to be seen as historic.
“The commitment to conversations on reparatory justice wedges open the door for dialogue,” said Kingsley Abbott, of the University of London’s Institute of Commonwealth Studies.
“The Commonwealth,” he said, “should see this as an opportunity to lead on a potentially historic process, and to do so with vision and courage.”
For Britain — still staking out its place in the world after empire and leaving the European Union — the summit was a high-stakes balancing act.
Botchwey appointed Commonwealth secretary general
Commonwealth members selected Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey as secretary-general of the 56-nation club headed by Britain’s King Charles, the Commonwealth said on Saturday, the final day of a summit in Samoa attended by Charles and Queen Camilla.
Representatives of the countries, most with roots in Britain’s empire, are attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting that began in the Pacific Island nation on Monday, with slavery and the threat of climate change emerging as major themes.
“Today at #CHOGM2024, Commonwealth Heads of Government have selected the Hon Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, currently the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana, as the incoming Secretary-General of the Commonwealth,” the Commonwealth said on X.
Botchwey, a supporter of reparations for transatlantic slavery and colonialism, takes over from Britain’s Patricia Scotland, who has been in the job since 2016.
Earlier on Saturday, Britain’s king and queen flew out of Samoa, after a visit in which the monarch acknowledged the Commonwealth’s “painful” history, amid a push for former colonial powers to pay reparations for their role in transatlantic slavery.
Charles and Camilla left Samoa about 12 p.m. local time on a Royal Australia Air Force jet, waving farewell as they boarded the plane at Apia’s Faleolo International Airport.
Before leaving, the royal pair attended a farewell ceremony at the village of Siumu, which took place in heavy rain.
Charles on Friday said in a speech to the summit that he understood “from listening to people across the Commonwealth how the most painful aspects of our past continue to resonate”.
“It is vital, therefore, that we understand our history, to guide us towards making the right choices in future,” he said.
The push for ex-colonial powers such as Britain to pay reparations or make other amends for slavery and its legacies today has gained momentum worldwide, particularly among the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the African Union.
Those opposed to reparations say countries should not be held responsible for historical wrongs, while those in support say the legacy of slavery has led to vast and persistent racial inequality.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is at the summit, has rejected calls for reparations and ruled out apologising for the country’s historic role. The King and Queen’s time in Samoa followed a six-day tour of Australia, where a large crowd turned out to see the royal couple at the Sydney Opera House. Charles also met with Indigenous elders in Sydney, after being heckled by an Indigenous senator in Canberra.
ALSO READ: Pakistan’s Diplomatic Crisis: The Fraying Partnership with China in 2024