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NewsTranscript
00:00 (APPLAUSE)
00:05 Your Majesties, Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
00:16 on behalf of the Queen in this platinum jubilee year,
00:22 my wife and I are delighted to be with you all here in Rwanda
00:27 for this 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.
00:32 I'd particularly like to thank President Kagame
00:37 and the people of Rwanda
00:39 for the most impressive preparations they have made.
00:44 I know how difficult the decisions were
00:47 to postpone this important gathering as a result of COVID
00:53 and can only applaud Rwanda's determination
00:57 and patience in ensuring our gathering is successful.
01:02 Throughout her reign, the Queen has placed
01:08 and continues to place the greatest importance
01:12 on the common friendship, humanity and values
01:17 that all of us share in this room,
01:20 not despite, but because of the diversity
01:24 the Commonwealth represents.
01:27 And I know how grateful she is that in recognition
01:31 of Her Majesty's unstinting service to our Commonwealth family,
01:37 all Commonwealth member states have announced
01:40 that they have now committed themselves
01:43 to the Queen's Commonwealth canopy.
01:46 I treasure the friendships we have built
01:52 over these past 70 years
01:55 and look forward to their deepening in the years ahead.
02:00 As we build back from the pandemic
02:04 that has devastated so many lives,
02:08 as we respond to climate change and biodiversity loss
02:12 that threatens our very existence,
02:16 and as we see lives destroyed
02:19 by the unattenuated aggression of violent forces,
02:24 such friendships are more important than ever.
02:29 I take heart from the fact that working together
02:33 and with urgent intent, there is a path to build
02:37 a future for humanity that is sustainable,
02:40 prosperous and just.
02:44 Our Commonwealth family is, and will always remain,
02:48 a free association of independent, self-governing nations.
02:54 We meet and talk as equals,
02:58 sharing our knowledge and experience for the betterment
03:02 of all citizens of the Commonwealth
03:04 and indeed the wider world.
03:06 The Commonwealth contains within it countries
03:13 that have had constitutional relationships with my family,
03:18 some that continue to do so,
03:21 and increasingly those that have had none.
03:24 I want to say clearly, as I have said before,
03:30 that each member's constitutional arrangement
03:34 as Republic or monarchy is purely a matter
03:38 for each member country to decide.
03:40 The benefit of long life brings me the experience
03:46 that arrangements such as these can change calmly
03:51 and without rancor.
03:52 But as I said in Barbados last November,
03:56 we should never forget the things which do not change,
04:01 the close and trusted partnership
04:04 between Commonwealth members,
04:07 our common values and shared goals,
04:11 and perhaps most importantly,
04:14 the strong and enduring connections
04:17 between the peoples of the Commonwealth
04:19 which strengthen us all.
04:21 These shared values, goals, and friendships
04:28 transcend the ties of shared history,
04:32 as we saw in welcoming Mozambique and Rwanda
04:36 to this great family of nations.
04:38 And now, coming to Rwanda for the first time,
04:43 visiting the Genocide Memorial and speaking to survivors,
04:49 I have been overwhelmed by the resilience,
04:53 grace, and determination of the Rwandan people.
04:57 Today, Rwanda upholds so much that is extraordinary
05:04 as a center for innovation,
05:08 a world leader in women's empowerment,
05:11 a growing hub for the green economy,
05:15 and a commitment to a united future.
05:18 As leaders, you consider how to define
05:23 and strengthen our own commitment to common purpose,
05:27 and I would only offer you the view
05:30 that our Commonwealth family
05:32 of some of the world's most vulnerable
05:34 and some of the world's wealthiest nations
05:37 has the ability, indeed the obligation,
05:41 to be a force for global public good.
05:47 Why else, ladies and gentlemen,
05:49 would an increasing number of countries
05:51 want to join this association?
05:53 In the diversity of the 2.6 billion people
06:00 on whose behalf you speak,
06:03 comes great strength, which you could use, for instance,
06:07 to speak up for the values which bind us,
06:10 to invest in a rapid transition to a sustainable future,
06:14 and to create opportunities for our young people.
06:17 I believe that the Commonwealth is uniquely positioned
06:22 to achieve such positive change in our world.
06:25 And in speaking to you over the years, I know you agree.
06:31 Indeed, I can only applaud the focus you are bringing
06:34 to supporting youth, business, and civil society,
06:38 not least through the Commonwealth Professional Associations
06:42 of Judges, Teachers, and Midwives, to name but three.
06:46 I know the importance you attach to ensuring
06:50 that support reaches the developing world,
06:53 and how important is the work you are undertaking
06:56 to develop new approaches
06:58 which take account of climate vulnerability,
07:01 to enable the better channeling of development assistance.
07:06 I was also greatly heartened at yesterday's business forum
07:11 to see Commonwealth leaders and global CEOs,
07:15 including from my Sustainable Markets Initiative,
07:18 identifying practical solutions to these vital challenges.
07:22 To achieve this potential good, however,
07:27 and to unlock the power of our common future,
07:30 we must also acknowledge the wrongs
07:33 which have shaped our past.
07:35 Many of those wrongs belong to an earlier age
07:40 with different and in some ways lesser values.
07:44 By working together,
07:48 we are building a new and enduring friendship.
07:51 In Canada recently, my wife and I were deeply touched
07:58 to meet many of those engaged
08:00 in the ongoing process of reconciliation,
08:03 indigenous and non-indigenous peoples
08:07 reflecting honestly and openly
08:10 on one of the darkest aspects of history.
08:13 As challenging as that conversation can be,
08:18 people across Canada are approaching it
08:20 with courage and unwavering commitment,
08:24 determined to lay a foundation of respect
08:27 and understanding upon which a better future can be built.
08:31 It seems to me that there are lessons in this
08:36 for our Commonwealth family.
08:38 For while we strive together for peace,
08:42 prosperity and democracy,
08:44 I want to acknowledge that the roots
08:47 of our contemporary association
08:49 run deep into the most painful period of our history.
08:53 I cannot describe the depths of my personal sorrow
08:59 at the suffering of so many
09:01 as I continue to deepen my own understanding
09:05 of slavery's enduring impact.
09:07 If we are to forge a common future
09:14 that benefits all our citizens,
09:17 we too must find ways, new ways to acknowledge our past.
09:22 Quite simply, this is a conversation whose time has come.
09:27 Your Excellencies, conversations start with listening
09:33 and as the Queen said at our last meeting,
09:36 the Commonwealth has always been and remains
09:39 a global association which believes
09:43 in the tangible benefits that flow
09:45 from exchanging ideas and experiences
09:48 and respecting each other's point of view.
09:50 Our ingenuity, knowledge and ideas,
09:55 our courage and determination are truly our Commonwealth.
10:00 By unlocking our potential,
10:03 we can build a future in which all our people have a stake,
10:07 ensuring that our Commonwealth Charter
10:10 represents not just words on a page,
10:13 but the lived experience of all.
10:15 And in so doing, we will equip our children
10:21 and grandchildren to be agents of a better future.
10:24 Your Excellencies, if we are to leave the world
10:28 better than we found it,
10:31 and that is our duty and our privilege,
10:33 we must be bold with our ambition,
10:36 decisive with our actions and united in our effort.
10:40 In this mission, I know Her Majesty the Queen
10:45 stands with us all.
10:46 (audience applauding)
10:52 (upbeat music)
10:54 (audience applauding)
10:57 (audience applauding)
11:01 [MUSIC PLAYING]