Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland met The Queen at Buckingham Palace on 4th of May. It was the first time the Secretary-General has been received by The Queen since taking office on 1 April 2016.
Secretary-General Scotland is the first woman to be selected for the position since the Commonwealth was founded. Her role as Secretary-General is to promote and protect the Commonwealth’s values, represent the Commonwealth publicly and oversee management of the Commonwealth Secretariat.
Upon taking office, the Secretary-General set out the following priorities: tackling violence against women, action on climate change, boosting trade and governance, and creating better opportunities for young people.
Baroness Scotland recently visited Belize on her first stop on an official tour of the Caribbean countries which are members of the Commonwealth.
Secretary-General Scotland reaffirmed the commitment made by the Commonwealth’s 53 governments at their 2015 summit, to fully support Belize’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
She said: “I welcome the cooperation between Belize’s Government and Opposition on this issue, which is affecting their entire population, and commend the facility that they give to the hundreds of children who come from Guatemala daily to attend school in Belize. I have responded positively to a request from the government and the opposition to convene the Commonwealth Ministerial Committee on Belize, ahead of the scheduled September meeting.”
The territorial dispute between the two countries dates back centuries to Imperial Spain’s claim to all “New World” territories west of the line established in the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas – a land distribution agreement between Spain and Portugal. An 1859 treaty established boundaries between Guatemala and Belize, but in the 1940’s Guatemala challenged the settlement.
The countries have been working with the Organisation of American States (OAS) towards a resolution since 2000. They both signed an agreement on a Framework for Negotiations and Confidence Building Measures, which includes a commitment to a set of guidelines to help the countries coexist peacefully while the border dispute is being resolved.
During her three-day visit to Belize, Secretary-General Scotland went to the border and met with the OAS team based there. She said: “I applaud the OAS for their invaluable confidence and peace-building initiatives and the encouraging results they have achieved, particularly in promoting cultural connections between Guatemalan and Belizean young people. I urge the international community to continue to resource this absolutely vital work.”
The Secretary-General, who also met with school children in Belize’s capital Belmopan, added: “I came to Belize to get a first-hand view of the country’s priorities, challenges and potentials, so I could better tailor Commonwealth cooperation and support. I spoke to the Prime Minister, government officials and the opposition about important initiatives to address climate change, support the rule of law and boost trade. But it is clear to me that the disagreement with Guatemala over border lines is the most pressing issue on the minds of the Belize people.
“When we visited Belmopan Methodist School we saw great talent and potential and a bright future. But we were also made aware of the anxieties of these young people. When we asked how the Commonwealth can help to improve their lives, one girl responded ‘give us peace with Guatemala’.
“I am urging both countries to heed to this plea for peace and return to the table for constructive and peaceful negotiations. The Commonwealth stands ready to do all in its power to support this process.”
