United Kingdom (Commonwealth Union)_ To mark the 2023 Commonwealth Day, 56 countries from five geographical areas, including some of the world’s greatest economies and tiniest islands, honored their shared vision and commitment to peace and justice in a world that is becoming increasingly polarized. On March 13, London celebrated Commonwealth Day with a number of events and activities, including a wreath-laying ceremony in commemoration of fallen Commonwealth soldiers and women, a special service at Westminster Abbey, and a warm reception for visiting officials at Buckingham Palace.
On this special occasion, His Majesty King Charles III addressed the assembly for the first time as Head of the Commonwealth at the Commonwealth Day Service. From the Great Pulpit, he lauded the “extraordinary potential” of the Commonwealth in his Commonwealth Day message. He stated, “The Commonwealth has an incredible opportunity, and responsibility, to create a genuinely durable future – one that offers the kind of prosperity that is in harmony with nature and that will also secure our unique and only planet for generations to come”. According to King Charles III, serious challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss, youth opportunity and education, global health, and economic cooperation are some of the areas in which the Commonwealth may play a vital role. He added, “Ours is an association not just of shared values, but of common purpose and joint action.”
His Majesty The King’s Message on Commonwealth Day is as follows: He stated, “Commonwealth Day was an occasion of particular pride for my beloved Mother, The late Queen – a treasured opportunity to celebrate our Commonwealth family, to whose service she dedicated her long and remarkable life. In succeeding Her Majesty as Head of the Commonwealth, I draw great strength from her example, together with all that I have learnt from the extraordinary people I have met, throughout the Commonwealth, over so many years.
The Commonwealth has been a constant in my own life, and yet its diversity continues to amaze and inspire me. Its near-boundless potential as a force for good in the world demands our highest ambition; its sheer scale challenges us to unite and be bold. This week marks the tenth anniversary of the Charter of the Commonwealth, which gives expression to our defining values – peace and justice; tolerance, respect and solidarity; care for our environment, and for the most vulnerable among us. These are not simply ideals. In each lies an imperative to act, and to make a practical difference in the lives of the 2.6 billion people who call the Commonwealth home.
Whether on climate change and biodiversity loss, youth opportunity and education, global health, or economic co-operation, the Commonwealth can play an indispensable role in the most pressing issues of our time. Ours is an association not just of shared values, but of common purpose and joint action. In this, we are blessed with the ingenuity and imagination of a third of the world’s population, including one and a half billion people under the age of thirty. Our shared humanity contains an immensely precious diversity of thought, culture, tradition, and experience. By listening to each other, we will find so many of the solutions that we seek.
This extraordinary potential, which we hold in common, is more than equal to the challenges we face. It offers us unparalleled strength, not merely to face the future, but to build it. Here, the Commonwealth has an incredible opportunity, and responsibility, to create a genuinely durable future – one that offers the kind of prosperity that is in harmony with nature and that will also secure our unique and only planet for generations to come. The myriad connections between our nations have sustained and enriched us for more than seven decades. Our commitment to peace, progress and opportunity will sustain us for many more. Let ours be a Commonwealth that not only stands together, but strives together, in restless and practical pursuit of the global common good”.
Additionally, throughout the Commonwealth, from Ghana to Sri Lanka, notable ceremonies were held to fly the Commonwealth flag for peace in honor of the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Commonwealth Charter. The Charter, which was initially signed by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2013, enshrines the organization’s common ideals, such as peace, democracy, human rights, rule of law, and environmental protection. As a final event, King Charles III signed the Commonwealth Charter as the new Head of the Commonwealth in the presence of an audience of foreign ministers, high commissioners, and representatives of the Commonwealth at Buckingham Palace.
