[photo: Commonwealth Secretariat/ Government of Samoa]
[Derek McDougall is a member of the Round Table’s International Advisory Board and contributing his Samoa Diary series during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa.]
This is the first CHOGM I have attended and hence this was my first opening ceremony. It was most impressive!
Occasions such as this can be viewed as political theatre. What were the political messages?
We can start with the seating of the government heads and their representatives where a government head is not attending. I counted twenty plus government heads (fewer than in Rwanda in 2022), with other countries represented by ministers (most commonly foreign ministers) and sometimes high commissioners. Seating was roughly according to seniority, with King Charles as Head of the Commonwealth coming in last. Canada and India were relatively underrepresented, the former by its high commissioner to the United Kingdom, the latter by its minister for parliamentary affairs and minority affairs. Most Pacific island countries had their government heads attending (for Solomon Islands it was the foreign minister). Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom had their prime ministers there. In fact, Keir Starmer and Anthony Albanese were seated next to each other.
Charles was not the only monarch present. The King of Eswatini was also there. When Charles began his address with ‘Your Majesty’ he was not referring to himself but to the King of Eswatini. 3-4 people stood up when the King of Eswatini was announced. It was not a protest but a traditional welcome in Eswatini led by a ‘praise singer’ in native dress.
I noticed Penny Wong (Australian foreign minister) and David Lammy (British foreign secretary) conversing before the start of proceedings. They both reflect a Commonwealth background, with Wong having a Malaysian Chinese father (she was born in Sabah) and Lammy being of Guyanese heritage.
A taster of articles by Derek McDougall for the Round Table
Statements came from PM Fiamē of Samoa, Baroness Scotland as outgoing Secretary-General, and President Kagame of Rwanda as the outgoing Commonwealth chair, before the King’s address. Fiamē highlighted this CHOGM as the first Pacific and SIDS (small island developing states) CHOGM. She saw the Commonwealth as being on the ‘front line’ of global challenges, with climate change as the greatest challenge in the Pacific; she wanted ambitious action to achieve the target of 1.5°. Scotland and Kagame both emphasised the value of the Commonwealth in dealing with increasingly complex global challenges; climate change was perhaps less central than for Fiame but certainly a high priority.
There was much interest in the King’s address, his first as Head of Commonwealth. While this is a symbolic role, occasions such as this give him a ‘bully pulpit’. Bagehot’s principle of ‘encouraging’ also comes to mind. Charles would certainly identify strongly with the Commonwealth Charter. He recalled his first visit to Malta as a young boy in 1954. He spoke of the Commonwealth as a family, also using the Samoan word ‘aiga’. The Commonwealth was a free association of equal nations, representing one third of humanity. As with PM Fiame, Charles noted that this was the 75th anniversary of the modern Commonwealth.
While some might say that the King was too circumspect, it was clear that he held Commonwealth values. Challenging issues should be discussed with openness and respect. In a period of great conflict, connections were more precious than ever. In reference to historical issues, he said we should understand where we came from, putting us in a better position to make the right choices for the future. We can’t change the past, but we can learn its lessons. There was certainly no explicit reference to debates about reparations for slavery and the legacies of colonialism and imperialism. As Head of the Commonwealth, Charles also has the habits of a constitutional monarch. You can speak out but within limits.
Charles is relatively outspoken on climate change, referring again to this issue as an existential challenge. He would have had a ready audience among the SIDS, with the leaders from Australia and Britain also moving in the direction favoured by Charles (but not fast enough for the SIDS and their supporters). At a practical level the King saw a role for the Commonwealth to work with the private sector to help unlock finance to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. He referred to the Association of Commonwealth Universities developing a new scholarship programme to assist students from the SIDS. (We might note here the Commonwealth of Learning with its development of open education to improve opportunities in SIDS and other Commonwealth countries. I happened to be sitting next to the chair (Danny Faure, former president of Seychelles) and the CEO.)
In terms of political theatre, a very strong emphasis in the opening was the way it conveyed Samoan culture. CHOGM attendees have experienced the great warmth and hospitality of Samoans. There is a strong Christian dimension (especially evangelical), but this hospitality would have pre-dated the arrival of Christianity. There is a hierarchical element to this with the chiefly system (noting that Charles was made a high chief); people are respectful without being overly deferential. A significant part of the opening was the prayer from the Catholic Archbishop of Samoa praising the Commonwealth as a sign of God’s hope and commending its leaders as instruments of development. A 250-member choir from Piula and Malua Theological Colleges (all dressed in white) sang the Samoan national anthem and later a hymn in Samoan. Towards the end of the opening, we had the same choir backing a programme of Samoan cultural dances. The choir swayed in harmony. Very moving, as was the dancing. Some of the dances were war dances; fortunately, this energy is put into rugby these days, rather than war. Some of the dances were more elegant, emphasising the relationship to the environment and family values. Initially there was also dancing and music from other Pacific countries, extending to Maori from Aotearoa New Zealand and Australian indigenous people with their didgeridoos.
‘Jesus is King’ as I saw one car sticker here say. Nevertheless, the Samoans are very good at engaging with a multi-faith Commonwealth, showing immense respect towards the leaders and peoples of a diverse ‘aiga’. The Samoans exemplify Commonwealth values.
Derek McDougall is Professorial Fellow, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Melbourne.
Samoa Diary One
Samoa Diary Two
Samoa Diary Three
The opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2024:
