Election of the Secretary-General
The Secretary-General is nominated by Commonwealth leaders and can serve a maximum of two terms of four years each. Commonwealth leaders will select and appoint the next Commonwealth Secretary-General at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
They will take this decision, in accordance with the Agreed Memorandum on the Establishment and Functions of the Commonwealth Secretariat (revised 2022) and the principle of regional rotation.
The successful candidate will serve as the seventh Commonwealth Secretary-General but second Secretary-General from Africa, following Chief Emeka Anyaoku of Nigeria, West Africa.
In the current race, West Africa has presented two candidates.
It is hoped that African member states will recognise that the principle of regional rotation in the Commonwealth Secretary-General election should be translated to the continent’s candidature, in view of observing geographical diversity, and give East, Central and Southern Africa a chance.
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM)
Leaders agree priority areas of work at CHOGM, which happen every two years, hosted by different member countries on a rotating basis. Since 1971, a total of 25 meetings have been held, with the most recent being in the Rwanda in 2022.
The next CHOGM is scheduled to be held in Apia, Samoa from 21-25 October 2024.