The Sunday News
Sunday News Correspondent
THE Secretary General of Commonwealth Patricia Scotland has commended Rwanda for its flawless preparations to ensure the hosting of a safe, secure and productive Commonwealth Summit next month.
“I’m delighted to be back in Rwanda and it is with confidence and enthusiasm that I look ahead to a face-to-face CHOGM2022 in Kigali next month. I commend the government and the people of Rwanda for their outstanding commitment and dedication to delivering an exemplary CHOGM,” Scotland said after meeting President Kagame in Kigali where she attended a major conference last week aimed to step up regional corruption fight.
Secretary General of Commonwealth Patricia Scotland
“This is the first CHOGM to be held in Africa for over a decade and I thank all Rwandans for their grace and fortitude in undertaking such detailed preparations to ensure a safe, secure and productive CHOGM2022 that drives the Commonwealth forward during these trying times.”
After holding talks with President Kagame, Rwanda’s Presidency revealed that their discussions focused on the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2022 to be hosted by Rwanda during the week of 20 June 2022.
Scotland was the guest of honour at the 12th Regional Conference of Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa held between 3rd and 7th May 2022 which ran under the theme “Combating Corruption for Good Governance and Sustainable Development in Africa.”
The conference came up with strategies to tackle corruption which is an impediment to democracy and good and accountable governance.
Up to 18 Commonwealth Africa Nations from the Association of Anti-Corruption Agencies were in Kigali to share expertise and innovations in combating corruption.
Estimates from the African Development Bank (AfDB) show that Africa loses about US$148 billion to corruption every year. In addition, Africa loses more than US$50 billion annually through illicit financial outflows — cross-border exchanges of value, monetary or otherwise, which are illegally earned, transferred or used — according to the AfDB 2015 Report of the high level panel on illicit financial flows from Africa.
