(Commonwealth)_ Commonwealth Secretary-General delivered a befitting speech during the unveiling of the plaque to formally identify the location for the planned Commonwealth House in the Pine Plantation, Barbados. The event, witnessed by the Commonwealth Society of Barbados, was an unforgettable experience that represented harmony, cooperation, and closer integration of the Commonwealth in the Caribbean.
The Secretary-General was deeply privileged and committed to accepting the invitation for the unveiling ceremony. She thanked the president of the Commonwealth Society of Barbados for her patronage and congratulated her for her patronage leadership of the society. The president’s personal commitment to shaping education, empowering youth, and engaging in activism serves as an example for other Commonwealth members to emulate.
The Secretary-General emphasised that constructing Commonwealth House in Barbados is more than just a building. It is being constructed as a “Commonwealth Hub for the Caribbean”—a dynamic community of dialogue, cooperation, and exchange of ideas among Commonwealth Caribbean member states. The new building will be a centre for consolidating the founding principles of the Commonwealth, like democracy, education, empowering youth, and sustainable development.
She further added that the President’s focus on empowering youth is nearest to the new Commonwealth style. One of the Secretary-General’s top priorities under the new style is to negotiate deals that provide access to digital entrepreneurship and youth skills across all 56 Commonwealth nations. The style is to tap technology and innovation in providing high-quality education and training to millions of young people through digital tools and e-learning.
The Secretary-General also appreciated the philanthropic donation and construction by businessperson Ben Delo. Their contribution toward the building of Commonwealth House has been vital to the success of the project. She recognised Mr. Delo as the best example of a new breed of global philanthropists who were set on advancing the Commonwealth’s agenda for sustainable development and shared prosperity. The Secretary-General commended his Foundation for its dedication to establishing places for the development of education, discourse, and construction of shared values within the Commonwealth. She also mentioned how Commonwealth House would serve as a model for collective leadership for the Caribbean in that it was taking country relations and regional power to new heights.
The hub would most likely include customised learning workshops, cultural exchange and leadership, all for the purpose of developing young leaders and entrepreneurs. For her, the project is the best example of how the Commonwealth is actually remaking itself to address 21st-century challenges while remaining faithful to its original concepts of equality, opportunity, and respect for diversity. In concluding her statement, the Secretary-General wished to send warm congratulations to the people and government of Barbados on Independence Day on 30 November 2025, the 59th anniversary. She recognised Barbados’s unwavering commitment to the Commonwealth and its leadership in the region to promote democratic values, sustainability, and innovation.
The Secretary-General ended by reiterating that she was convinced that the strength of the Commonwealth lay in its unity and common endeavours. In projects such as the Commonwealth House, the organisation works to unite nations, build the next generation, and make space for authentic cooperation. The plaque they had unveiled that morning was an example of this continued collaboration — an example of what the Commonwealth does to bring people together, to inspire, and to transform societies across the globe.
The ceremony, in the context of the energy and culture of Barbados, was a thanksgiving to the Commonwealth for a vision of a more united and more diverse future for all members.
