3 November 2026
Foreign Affairs Ministers
from across the Commonwealth met on the eve of the
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
(CHOGM) in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, for
the 27th Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting
(CFAMM). The meeting was chaired by Antigua and
Barbuda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade &
Immigration, Hon Everly Paul Chet
Greene.
Foreign Affairs Ministers and Heads
of Delegations were tasked with adopting the CHOGM 2026
Communiqué, ahead of its endorsement by Leaders.
In
his opening remarks, the Chair, Minister Greene,
reflected on developments since CFAMM in London in
March, and said:
“When we last met at
Lancaster House in London, we agreed on the need to do more
as Foreign Ministers – to uphold our collective values,
increase our visibility, and deepen our relationship with
strategic partners.
“The Commonwealth is an important
platform for dialogue, collaboration and opportunity.
Through partnerships and shared action, we can build
resilience, unlock economic opportunity, and ensure that the
Commonwealth continues to deliver meaningful benefits for
our people.
“This week, we invite our Commonwealth
family to rally behind the CHOGM theme, ‘Accelerating
Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous
Commonwealth’. Let us make the most of this moment of
opportunity for the Commonwealth and show our people that
they matter.”
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Commonwealth Secretary-General,
Hon Shirley Botchwey, said in her opening remarks
that this pre-CHOGM CFAMM meeting sought to focus on the
challenges facing Commonwealth countries, including how to
respond to hostile actions against them, and how they
fashion strategies to fill the gap for funding social goods
critical for building their own resilience and shared
Commonwealth prosperity. She said to Ministers:
“In
today’s world, there are few certainties left. But one
thing we can be sure of is that the Commonwealth family is a
place where all voices are heard, and that the time for
action is now.
“This week, you will experience a
transformed CHOGM: shorter, but with more packed in. The
initiatives we are launching this week complement national
programmes and our existing support for member countries,
with scaled responses that reflect our ambition for
transformation.
“This CHOGM, have been designed around
your priorities, to help you achieve your goals. Inspired by
our values and our history of problem-solving, we are
looking to your leadership and support to deliver
transformative change for our 2.7 billion
citizens.”
Foreign Ministers and Heads of Delegation
received a Report from the Chair of the Commonwealth
Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) for the period 2024-26. CMAG
is chaired byHon Chris Fearne, Minister for Foreign and
European Affairs of the Republic of Malta.
Ministers
and delegates welcomed reports from the Commonwealth
intergovernmental organisations – the Commonwealth
Secretariat, Commonwealth
Foundation and Commonwealth of
Learning – as well as from the four CHOGM Forums,
namely Business, People, Youth and Women.
CFAMM 2026
Retreat
Foreign Ministers met for a retreat in the
afternoon, under the theme, How can Foreign Ministers
promote the Commonwealth’s shared interests and values in
the current international situation?
Foreign
Ministers discussed how Commonwealth member countries can
work together to shape a shared future, in the face of
profound stresses and challenges facing the world.
Discussion focused on:
1. The Commonwealth’s
response to declining development cooperation, unilateral
attacks on member countries, as well as rapidly emerging and
evolving technologies, and their impact on our resilience
and shared prosperity.
2. How Foreign Ministers can
support the Commonwealth to strengthen consensus-building
mechanisms and leverage cooperation across global platforms,
positioning our values, increasing our visibility and
realising a response global governance
architecture.
The integration of democracy and good
governance for realising economic and climate resilience
across the Commonwealth CHOGM will officially open today, 3
November and conclude on 4
November.
Notes:
- The Commonwealth is
a voluntary association of 56 independent and equal
sovereign states. Our combined population is 2.7 billion, of
which more than 60 per cent is aged 29 or under. - The
Commonwealth spans the globe and includes both advanced
economies and developing countries. Thirty-three of our
members are small states, many of which are island
nations. - The Commonwealth Secretariat supports
member countries to build democratic and inclusive
institutions, strengthen governance and promote justice and
human rights. Our work helps to grow economies and boost
trade, deliver national resilience, empower young people,
and address threats such as climate change, debt and
inequality. - Member countries are supported by a
network of more than 80 intergovernmental, civil society,
cultural and professional
organisations.
