The
13th annual meeting of Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers will take
place in New York this week alongside the 69th session of the United
Nations General Assembly.
On Thursday, 25 September,
Ministers will be briefed on priority development concerns of small
states, the Commonwealth’s interaction with the G20 group of countries
and the Post-2015 Development Agenda. At
their meeting, Foreign Ministers will also examine progress made in
implementing the mandates agreed by Commonwealth leaders in Colombo, Sri
Lanka in 2013 and will be briefed on the Commonwealth’s progress in
realising its fundamental political values, as set out in the
Commonwealth Charter of 2012. In this regard, they will have the
opportunity to be briefed about the Commonwealth Secretary-General’s
Good Offices work, Commonwealth election support, and human rights
initiatives.
Later, on Thursday,
Commonwealth Heads of Government will meet to agree a Commonwealth
statement on the post-2015 development agenda. The 69th United Nations
General Assembly will dedicate itself to reaching consensus on the
delivery and implementation of a Post-2015 framework.
On Friday, 26 September,
the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) will meet for the
second time this year. The group, which is comprised of nine Foreign
Ministers, is tasked with assessing serious or persistent violations of
the Commonwealth's fundamental political values. Fiji, which is
currently suspended from the Councils of the Commonwealth, will be on
the agenda. Under Matters of Interest, the Secretary-General will also
brief the Group on issues of concern in member countries under CMAG’s
strengthened mandate to protect and promote the Commonwealth’s
fundamental political values.