A PEOPLES’ COMMONWEALTH: LOOKING BEYOND GOVERNMENTS
A PEOPLES’ COMMONWEALTH: LOOKING BEYOND GOVERNMENTS
Lord Collins of Highbury is the
Shadow Minister for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and International Development in the UK Parliament’s House of Lords. He was General Secretary of the Labour Party (20082011) and Assistant General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union and in 2007, helped to steer the TGWU into a merger with Amicus, creating Unite, one of the largest UK trade unions. He is an active member of the UK AllParty Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Global LGBT+ Rights and is also Patron of Positive East, London’s largest HIV charity.
Across the world the Extinction Rebellion and other allies have confronted politicians with a call for public engagement in discussions about both the threat of climate change and the action necessary. As UK Member of Parliament, Ed Millband, MP put it “for too long people have been shut out of the climate debate and made to feel powerless. That must change.” In recent weeks the vast majority of climate strikers taking action being of school age aren’t allowed to vote. As 16-year-old Swedish climate activist, Greta Thunberg wrote in a recent Guardian newspaper article: “Despite watching the climate crisis unfold, despite knowing the facts, we aren’t allowed to have a say in who makes the decisions about climate change. And then ask yourself this: wouldn’t you go on strike too, if you thought doing so could help protect your own future?” 1 The worst effects of climate change are disproportionately felt by the world’s most vulnerable communities. That’s why 2019’s annual Commonwealth theme ‘A Connected Commonwealth’, is so important for encouraging collaboration among the people, Governments and institutions of the
142 | The Parliamentarian | 2019: Issue Two | 100th year of publishing
Commonwealth to protect natural resources and promote inclusive economic empowerment so that all people - particularly women, young people and marginalised communities - can benefit equally. 2.4 billion people, a third of the world’s population is critical in supporting each member state in addressing these challenges. This year’s themes builds on the goals agreed at 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), most notably adopting the Commonwealth Blue Charter on sustainable development and protection of the world’s oceans; committing to ratify and implement the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; adopting the Commonwealth Cyber Declaration with a common commitment to an open, democratic, peaceful and secure internet; and respecting human rights and freedom of expression.
All of this is complementary to the United Nations 2030 Agenda, specifically the commitment to leave no one behind. The UK as the Chair-in-Office for two years has a key delivery role in meeting the goals agreed at CHOGM. The UK Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon. Jeremy Hunt, MP, at the beginning of this year, stated the UK’s determination to work closely with its partners to maintain momentum following CHOGM 2018 and to revitalise and reform the Commonwealth. In the UK Parliament in March 2019, UK Foreign Office Minister, Rt Hon. Harriett Baldwin, MP acknowledged this was “a huge agenda” with “lots more to do” summarising the Government’s objectives in four words: “delivery, voice, solidarity and reform.” Delivery, she argued, was about implementing over £500 million of projects and programmes, including £200 million for the support of girls’ education in nine