MY relentless commitment to serving humanity in the past 30 years has taught me useful lessons of values that preserve human dignity, which the Commonwealth of Nations was created to champion.
The relevance of the Commonwealth continues to re-commit individuals, groups, associations and civil societies around the world to redouble their efforts, in the face of political uncertainties and climate change, to collectively harness the diversity of values that bind us together.
The Commonwealth of Nations is deep-seated in my life: from birth, upbringing to career. The values I live for and represent are the same values that the Commonwealth of Nations represents.
My entire professional life has been in the service of the people, preparing me to understand the socio-economic needs and cultural diversities of nations.
As the only candidate vying for the position of the Commonwealth Secretary-General who is recognised as one of the longest-serving African Foreign Ministers with not just a high-level diplomatic experience but also political and developmental accolades, I am ready to lead with compassion and responsiveness to the needs of diverse member states as well as with the clarity of values that the Commonwealth is built upon.
My experience would be invaluable to solve or mitigate critical global issues of peace and security, promotion and protection of human rights, including sea level rise, climate change and the digital divide affecting our community of nations.
The polarisation of our world and the intrinsic nature of the geopolitical multi-polar world in an ever-changing global landscape place the Commonwealth as a formidable and strategic player on the global scene.
I, therefore, intend to consolidate the strength of our shared diversity, the historical accomplishments of the preceding years as a path towards forging better and tangible dividend to formulate long-term sustainable development policies.
I am of the firm conviction that the Commonwealth’s twin goals of democracy and sustainable development are anchored on the conviction that democracy and development should be built concurrently as we achieve our common desired goals while playing a strong role globally to ensure legitimate, transparent, responsive governance and responsive international system.
As Secretary-General, I will lead a team that will leverage the strength of the Commonwealth to create new opportunities for growth, development and cooperation in an all-inclusive democratic and peaceful environment, where promoting and protecting human rights, maintaining peace and security and the progressive development of international law are treated as collective responsibilities.
As Secretary-General, I pledge to be committed to our founding principles of democracy, promotion and protection of human rights and the rule of law.
The Good Office of the Secretary-General will be strengthened to support efforts to prevent conflict-driven root causes, undemocratic governance and abuse of human rights.
Coming from a country with a youthful population of which 64 per cent are aged 30 and below, I can relate to the needs and aspirations of the Commonwealth youth population.
The welfare and economic security of our youths are drivers of my plan, including gender equality.
The youth and women will, therefore, play a central role in rebranding the Commonwealth as a historical institution built to bridge differences and create opportunities through employment and capacity building to foster economic growth of states and citizens.
Dr Mamadou Tangara is Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad. The above is an abridged version of his opening presentation during the debate at Chatham House in London on September 11 by the three declared candidates for Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.
The other two are Shirley Botchwey, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of Ghana, and Joshua Setipa, former Minister for Trade and Industry of Lesotho (2015–2017) and Senior Director, Strategy, Portfolio and Partnerships, Commonwealth Secretariat
The new Commonwealth Secretary-General to succeed Rt Hon. Patricia Scotland KC, who has held the post since 2016, will be elected during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa in October.
