The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) celebrated Commonwealth Day 2024 on Monday 11 March 2024 across the CPA’s nine Regions and around 180 Parliaments and Legislatures. The theme for Commonwealth Day 2024, and the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa in October 2024, is ‘One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Common Wealth’. The theme highlights how the 56 member countries must harness their strengths by building resilience, unlocking potential, leveraging the 'Commonwealth Advantage' and fostering a connected, digital Commonwealth. This transformation is vital to ensure a resilient common future where no one is left behind.
As the Head of the Commonwealth, His Majesty King Charles III released a special video message, in which he said: “The Commonwealth family is strongest when we are connected, through friendship. We recognise today that our diversity is our greatest strength. The Commonwealth represents a third of humanity, from all regions of the world, with all the different experiences, knowledge, and aspirations that this brings. I cannot say often enough that it is by coming together that we create the best chances to improve our world and the lives of people everywhere. Indeed, over the years countless people across the Commonwealth have been inspired to form their own Commonwealth Associations, from lawyers and accountants to business and trade networks, and many more besides. The work they do is vital, sharing professional knowledge, experience, and expertise across the Continents for the betterment of each one of us.”
Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey
The traditional multi-faith Commonwealth Service was held at Westminster Abbey in London where Queen Camilla and The Prince of Wales joined other Members of the Royal Family, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, representatives of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, High Commissioners, dignitaries and over 600 schoolchildren. Commonwealth Day 2024 also marks the 75th anniversary of the ‘modern’ Commonwealth. Commonwealth Day will be marked in Parliaments across the world.
The UK Speaker hosted a special Commonwealth Speakers Summit to coincide with Commonwealth Day with Speakers and Presiding Officers attending from Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Canada, Grenada, Isle of Man, Kenya, Kiribati, Malawi, Malta, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Pakistan, Saint Lucia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sri Lanka, St Kitts and Nevis, Tanzania, The Gambia, Tonga, Turks and Caicos Islands, Wales and Zambia.
HC Vikram Doraiswami laid a wreath at the Commonwealth Memorial Gates Commemoration Ceremony and paid tribute to soldiers from the Commonwealth who fought in the First and Second World Wars.
On Commonwealth Day 2024, the special focus was on the 80th anniversary of the famous Battles of Kohima and Imphal this year involving British combined forces and the Japanese in South Asia. We specifically remember those who served in the Fourteenth Army at Kohima and Imphal, and across South Asia. The Memorial Gates are a lasting memorial to honour the five million men and women from Africa, the Caribbean and the Indian subcontinent (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) who volunteered to serve with the British Armed Forces during the First and Second World Wars.
The Gates also commemorate the contribution that their descendants and members of the Commonwealth family, continue to make to the rich diversity of British society. The memorial was officially inaugurated in 2002 by HM The Queen.
Lord Bilimoria CBE DL in his speech reiterated that without the sacrifices of the soldiers and war veterans, we wouldn’t be enjoying the freedom we have today. The Prince of Wales and Queen Camilla were all smiles at the Commonwealth Day service. Camilla and William were accompanied by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent. The annual celebration drew on the theme of resilience, at a time when the royal family has faced a barrage of health troubles.
