1997 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
Largest CHOGM to date, with Queen Elizabeth II's first attendance.
The 1997 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, the 15th such gathering, was held in Edinburgh, Scotland, from 24 to 27 October 1997. Hosted by Prime Minister Tony Blair, it was the largest summit in modern Commonwealth history up to that point, with forty-two heads of state or government attending. The meeting was notable for the emergence of the civil society fringe 'People's Commonwealth' and for the first appearance of Queen Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth, at a CHOGM.
Quick Facts
- Summit name
- 15th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
- Dates
- 24–27 October 1997
- Venues
- St Andrews
- Cities
- Edinburgh
- Heads of state
- 42
- Chairperson
- Tony Blair (Prime Minister)
- Follows
- 1995
- Precedes
- 1999
Facts from the source article.
Economic declaration
The CHOGM was considered unspectacular in policy terms, partly because twenty countries had new leaders, requiring relationship-building, and the retreat lasted only a few hours. Chairperson Tony Blair sought a declaration of Commonwealth economic principles akin to the Harare Declaration, but the result was greatly watered down. A British paper by Robert Cassen and David Greenaway was rejected almost entirely; India opposed calls for a new global trade round, arguing for slower globalisation. Agreed outcomes included a biennial Commonwealth Business Forum, a Trade and Investment Access Facility, and a $110m South Asia Regional Fund.
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