Annual Review 2007-2008 - The Royal Commonwealth Society

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Climate change: rising to the challenge The Sixth Affirmation: “We recognise the grave threat to humanity posed by climate change and environmental degradation. We affirm our responsibility to communities across the globe, now and in future generations, to address this challenge. We pledge to work individually and through our governments to create a sustainable world.” His Excellency Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, President of the Maldives, addressing the RCS on 17 July 2007 watched by RCS Director-General Stuart Mole In 2008, the Commonwealth has turned its collective focus upon the issue of the environment and the devastating effects of climate change. At the 2007 CHOGM in Kampala, Commonwealth Heads of Government resolved to support developing countries in their international negotiations on climate change and in their preparations for, and management of, natural disasters. They also launched a range of new environmental programmes, including land management and forestation initiatives and studies on the environmental effects of exporting agricultural produce. However, at the beginning of 2008, the Commonwealth widened this challenge to include action at every level of the organisation, from Heads of Government and Ministers, civil society and professional organisations, through to individual Commonwealth citizens. During the 2008 Commonwealth Day Observance, HE Rt Hon Don McKinnon rallied the Commonwealth community, declaring that, “If we forget about future generations today, then tomorrow they will never be able to forget what we did to them”. President Yoweri Museveni, of the Republic of Uganda echoed this sentiment, stating, “All of us in the Commonwealth family must act now, not later”. It is this call to immediate and urgent action, to repair environmental damage and to halt the devastating advance of climate change, 16 Annual Review 2007/08 which the Commonwealth will strive to address during the course of 2008. Climate Change on the agenda at the RCS In 2007, the RCS was already turning its attention to environmental issues and the role of the Commonwealth in combating climate change. In July, HE Mr Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, President of the Republic of Maldives, addressed a large audience on the subject of ‘Climate Change and Sea Level Rise: Small Island States in Peril’. He declared that global climate change is “unquestionably the most daunting challenge facing the world today, demanding a very serious, urgent, and comprehensive response from the whole community of nations”. President Gayoom spoke of his efforts over the past 20 years to lobby the world to take climate change more seriously. He concluded optimistically, saying that, “I believe that the argument is being won. And for the first time, I believe that the tide is in our favour and is leading us in the direction of a new international consensus.” In March of this year, Dr David Suzuki, Emeritus Professor in Sustainable Development at the University of British Columbia, co-founder of the David Suzuki Foundation and an award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster, delivered the 11th Commonwealth Lecture, ‘The challenge of the 21st Century: Setting the Real Bottom Line’. Suzuki claimed that humanity’s ecological footprint has been massively amplified by technology, a global economy and spiralling consumption and “we are altering the biological, chemical and physical features of the planet on a geological scale with enormous ecological consequences”. Earlier the same day, Dr Suzuki had also met with eleven young delegates drawn from across the Commonwealth for a Roundtable discussion, hosted by the RCS and entitled ‘Growing Up Green: Practical Action to Combat Climate Change’. This was an opportunity for young Commonwealth citizens to engage with one of the leading authorities on the environment and to voice their opinions as to what role they believe the Commonwealth can take in the fight against environmental degradation. The delegates drew upon their own varied backgrounds and experiences to challenge and question both Dr Suzuki and one another. It is hoped that the Roundtable will act as a springboard for a greater engagement of the Commonwealth with its constituent youth as it focuses upon the environment over the course of the coming year. For more information regarding the Dr Suzuki Roundtable discussion, contact Joanna Stephenson, 020 7766 9230 or joanna.stephenson@rcsint.org
Lobbying Parliament ‘Making an impact: The Commonwealth in Parliament and in the Constituencies’: this was the important topic addressed at a joint half-day conference organised by the RCS and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (UK Branch) at the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday 12 March. Following the event, guests were invited to a reception hosted by Rt. Hon. Baroness Hayman, Lord Speaker. The programme for the day was divided into four sessions entitled ‘The Commonwealth and the UK’, ‘The Commonwealth in the Constituencies’, ‘Lobbying on Commonwealth Issues’ and ‘Raising the Commonwealth’s parliamentary profile’. The sessions were chaired by Baroness Prashar, Lord Steel of Aikwood, Lord Luce and the BBC Diplomatic Correspondent, James Robbins. Distinguished speakers at the event included Lord Howell of Guildford, House of Lords Conservative Foreign Affairs Spokesperson; Richard Bourne, the founder of the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit; Peter Kellner, political analyst and President of YouGov; Valerie Davey, ex-Labour MP for Bristol West and Executive Chairperson of the Council for Commonwealth Education; Patrick Orr, of Raitt Orr Associates; Cheryll Dorall, from the Commonwealth Association; Lord Anderson of Swansea; Stephen Crabb, MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire; and Baroness Northover, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for International Development. The conference was well attended by a range of diplomats, representatives from Audience members listen attentively at the ‘Lobbying Parliament on the Commonwealth’ event Rt. Hon. Lord Howell of Guildford, Conservative Foreign Affairs Spokesman the Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), as well as from numerous Commonwealth organisations. Key themes which emerged during the conference included: • The need for the Commonwealth to alter its mindset and to relate to the world beyond its boundaries; to engage with emerging key issues, and for NGOs/CSOs to explore new sources of funding, such as the EU • The need for diaspora groups to recognise the ‘Commonwealth within’ and to organise themselves in such a way as to influence policy-makers and fight the perception that there are ‘no votes in the Commonwealth”’ • The recognition that, although the Commonwealth is a great brand, it is relatively poor at selling itself • The need for the organisation to seek greater engagement with young people in Britain, widening their horizons and enabling them to become ‘global citizens’ • The need for the RCS and CPA (UK Branch) to work together more closely A report detailing these key themes, the outcomes of the conference and a future action plan will shortly be made available by the Royal Commonwealth Society. For further information, please contact Public Affairs Officer Claire Anholt on 0207 766 9202 or claire.anholt@rcsint.org www.rcsint.org 17
Page 1 and 2: Creating ideas, building with visio
Page 3 and 4: Contents Royal Commonwealth Society
Page 5 and 6: Director-General’s Report My eigh
Page 7 and 8: Events, Conferences and Banqueting
Page 9 and 10: Building on the past, creating the
Page 11 and 12: Speakers at the RCS during 2007-200
Page 13 and 14: Another important development was t
Page 15 and 16: Can faith and politics meet on peac
Page 17: Migration: perception, policy and t
Page 21 and 22: experiences of the catastrophic eff
Page 23 and 24: “I think that you can grow the ec
Page 25 and 26: Throughout November and December 20
Page 27 and 28: The voice of youth Young people hav
Page 29 and 30: The new Business Area, housing the
Page 31 and 32: Write around the world The Commonwe
Page 33 and 34: network of tiny fibres and capillar
Page 35 and 36: An International Network Branch and
Page 37 and 38: The Caribbean In the Caribbean, the
Page 39 and 40: Supporting the work of the RCS The
Page 41 and 42: It is not only the volume, but also
Page 43 and 44: like me, they were helpless. It nev
Page 45 and 46: Dr David Suzuki, Co-founder of the
Page 47 and 48: Consolidated balance sheet As at 31
Page 49 and 50: Prince Edward Island (The Royal Com
Page 51 and 52: Nexus Strategic Partnerships is an

Annual Review 2007-2008 - The Royal Commonwealth Society

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