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CHOGM 2011 communiqué
Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM)
October 30, 2011

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Commonwealth Heads of Government met in Perth, Australia, from 28 to 30 October 2011, under the theme 'Building National Resilience, Building Global Resilience'. Reflecting on the unique nature of the Commonwealth, a voluntary association which brings together 54 developing and developed nations from six continents, Heads reaffirmed their commitment to the values and principles of the Commonwealth and agreed to a series of actions to maintain the Commonwealth's relevance, to ensure its effectiveness in responding to contemporary global challenges and to build resilient societies and economies. Given the significant challenges facing the global economy, Heads emphasised the importance of the international community working cooperatively to secure a sustainable global recovery. Heads highlighted the importance of a strong response to these challenges to provide the necessary confidence to global markets.

Heads welcomed the report of the Eminent Persons Group, 'A Commonwealth of the People: Time for Urgent Reform', and thanked members of the Group for their outstanding work. They agreed that the report provided a strong basis to revitalise the Commonwealth and its institutions and ensure its continued relevance to member states and their people - today and in the future.

To this end, Heads agreed to the following:

1. Reform of the Commonwealth to ensure that it is a more effective institution, responsive to members' needs, and capable of tackling the significant global challenges of the 21st century. This includes:

a) the reform of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG);
b) consideration of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) recommendations on reform;
c) strengthening the management and delivery of Commonwealth programmes, including through regular review of their efficiency, effectiveness and results, against measurable indicators;
d) to this end, focusing delivery of practical assistance to members through greater prioritisation and alignment of programmes to members' priorities on the basis of Commonwealth comparative advantage and, where necessary, retiring programmes that do not meet these criteria; and
e) undertaking associated reform of the Commonwealth Secretariat and ensuring the adequacy of resources and their appropriate use to enable it to deliver on its agreed mandates.

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