Ian Borg arrives in Samoa for CHOGM 2024

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Ian Borg is leading Malta’s delegation at the 27th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), in the Pacific islands of Samoa.

As he arrived in the Samoan capital Apia, Borg participated in the Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting (CFAMM).

On Friday, he will be joining the leaders of the Commonwealth’s 56 member states for the Executive Sessions of the CHOGM. During these high-level meetings, they will deliberate on the Commonwealth’s priorities for the coming years, focusing on the organisation’s potential to bolster member countries’ resilience and development in tackling shared global challenges.

Borg will also participate in the Heads of Government Retreat and the CHOGM Closing Session on Saturday.

He is scheduled to co-chair the 67th meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), which works to ensure that member states safeguard the fundamental principles of the Commonwealth, including democracy and fundamental human rights.

Ahead of the meeting, Malta accepted an invitation to continue serving as one of CMAG’s nine members for its third consecutive year.

On the sidelines of CHOGM, the Deputy Prime Minister is also holding bilateral talks with the heads of government and foreign ministers of several Commonwealth countries.

Meanwhile, Malta hosted one of the CHOGM principal side events, entitled ‘Commonwealth Small States Centre of Excellence: Future-Proofing Small States’. During this event, the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade championed the efforts of this Malta-based centre in climate resilience initiatives for small states and small island developing states (SIDS).

The Centre, which was established in Valletta in 2017, has successfully spearheaded several scholarship opportunities as well as capacity-building and knowledge-sharing initiatives focused on SIDS. In conjunction with the University of Malta and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), it also developed the Climate Vulnerability and Resilience Index, which assesses the adaptability and preparedness of small island states to the impacts of the climate crisis.

Going forward, the Centre will continue investing in this important Index and will serve as its principal data hub. It will also address the growing challenges to the sustainable development of small islands and SIDS by incorporating a futures dimension into its work, particularly in the fields of science and technology.

Commenting on this development, Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg explained that “Together with our partners, we have focused our efforts on the adaptation and evolution of the Centre to better cater for the ever-evolving needs of small states and Small Island Developing States in our fast-changing global landscape. We want the Centre to be in a better position to address the inherent challenges related to vulnerability and resilience, not least climate-related ones, and their implications on security and the rule of law.”

“Let’s ensure the fulfilment of our shared vision of a more resilient and sustainable future,” he concluded.

Together with their partners, Malta and the Commonwealth Small States Centre of Excellence will be showcasing this initiative at the United Nations’ Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, next month.