Commonwealth Day 2026

Hamish Falconer Excerpts

Wednesday 11th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Mr Hamish Falconer)]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Adam Jogee) for securing the debate. All in this House recognise his tireless work in support of the Commonwealth as co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group and as a member of the executive committee of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. I also welcome the commitment to the Commonwealth demonstrated in the Chamber this evening, and the good spirit that obviously suffuses the Chamber when talking about the Commonwealth—it makes a nice change for me from many of the more controversial questions on which I am often engaged. I hope that there are some watching us in the Commonwealth, and I hope they can see the true spirit of friendship and goodwill that emanates from this place to all corners of the globe.

I will try to address the points that have been raised by hon. Members. I feel personally very connected to the Commonwealth. As a young man, I joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, now the FCDO. The first posting that I served properly in was in Pakistan—obviously, an important member of the Commonwealth. Pakistan and many other parts of the Commonwealth face challenging times, and I know that the Commonwealth is a much-needed source of strength and stability. As His Majesty the King reflected this week, it is often in such testing moments that the enduring spirit of this family of nations is most clearly revealed. The Commonwealth spans every continent and ocean, and it represents about a third of the world’s population. Now in its 77th year, it continues, as my hon. Friend said so articulately, to show its relevance as a family of nations bound by shared values, co-operation and genuinely deep appreciation.

The Commonwealth charter, from which my hon. Friend quoted, expresses the commitment of member states to the development of free and democratic societies and to the promotion of peace and prosperity. Commonwealth Week is an opportune moment to reflect on our shared values of freedom, peace and democracy. We were very pleased to join the 26th Commonwealth foreign affairs meeting here in London on Sunday. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary joined counterparts to discuss the most pressing challenges facing our societies and the international system. On Monday, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and the Minister for the Commonwealth joined His Majesty the King, Her Majesty the Queen and Commonwealth representatives at Westminster Abbey to mark Commonwealth Day and to reflect on the deep strength of the partnership. We are looking forward to the Commonwealth games in Glasgow this summer, which should bring us together in a spirit of friendly competition. Later this year, leaders will meet in Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, for the Heads of Government meeting, which is an important opportunity for the Commonwealth to show leadership in our changing world.

As my hon. Friend rightly pointed out, this is a time of profound international challenge—from rising security threats and economic volatility, to climate pressures and democratic backsliding. These times demand contemporary partnerships that work. The Commonwealth, with its reach and diversity, is well placed to respond. Under the leadership of secretary-general Shirley Botchwey, we are seeing important steps being taken. The new strategic plan of September 2025 is focused on economic, environmental and democratic resilience. It reflects the realities of our age, and the priorities of member states.

The UK supports that direction; we continue to stand fully behind the Commonwealth. We remain the largest financial contributor to its institutions, including its secretariat, its foundation and the Commonwealth of Learning. Through its networks, including vital accredited organisations, the Commonwealth helps teachers, universities, parliamentarians and businesses to work directly with their counterparts across member states. That co-operation turns the shared values about which my hon. Friend spoke so meaningfully into practical results—be it from teachers sharing curricula, parliamentarians strengthening scrutiny or businesses navigating new markets. That is one of the Commonwealth’s real strengths.

At a time when global institutions are under strain, that network of nations is a powerful example of multilateral co-operation that delivers. That approach will be reflected in the global partnerships conference in London in May. We look forward to co-hosting that conference with South Africa, bringing together Governments, civil society and the private sector to help shape the international development system for a new era.

There is much more I could say about the work that we are doing through the Commonwealth on economic growth, democracy, good governance and indeed the vital climate challenges that we face, but in summary I turn once again to the importance of the Commonwealth, which has been demonstrated once again this evening, and to why it remains so vital in today’s world: the combination of its shared values, its global reach and its relevance at a time of growing instability. This is a significant year for the Commonwealth, with ministerial meetings, major events and leaders coming together.

[Adam Jogee]

I know that it is naughty to intervene on the Minister in my own Adjournment debate, but since we have five minutes left—four minutes, excuse me —I wonder whether he might touch on a couple of those economic benefits to which he just referred.

[Mr Falconer]

I would be delighted to do so. Growth is clearly a central mission for the Government, and the Commonwealth truly can play a valuable role in delivering it. The Commonwealth has a significant share of the world’s markets, critical mineral reserves and trading potential. The combined GDP is projected to reach $20 trillion by 2027. Shared language, legal systems and institutions make it easier to trade and invest with one another.

As we know, however, many members face real constraints, from debt pressures and volatile trade to limited access to affordable finance, all against a backdrop of global uncertainty. That is why the UK will work with Commonwealth partners to put economic growth at the very top of the agenda at the Heads of Government meeting later this year. The focus will be on reducing barriers to trade, making it easier to do business across borders, deepening digital trade, improving alignment of standards, strengthening supply chains and expanding the Commonwealth investment network, with which I know my hon. Friend is familiar.

We believe that that work is already making a difference, supporting small businesses from agritourism projects in the Caribbean to recycling and land restoration initiatives in the Pacific, helping them attract investment and build resilience. As a group of countries committed to free trade and the rule of law, we will also work together to support World Trade Organisation reform and a more stable and predictable global trading environment, including for small states.

Those are some of the steps that we will take on economic growth. It is also right to say that some of the climate pressures facing the Commonwealth impact very heavily on the growth prospects of some Commonwealth members. We have been glad to support some financial measures in that regard, including the climate finance access hub and the disaster risk finance portal, which help states to build resilience and respond more effectively to climate risk. We are taking action to try to ensure that Commonwealth countries particularly exposed to the vicissitudes of climate change do not face financing burdens in their ability to respond.

Before I conclude, I want to agree very sincerely with the points made by hon. Members and friends about the Commonwealth war graves. I remember visiting the pristinely maintained Commonwealth war graves in South Sudan. So much else has changed in South Sudan since those graveyards were put in place, and they have been maintained pristinely. One of the functions that often falls to British diplomats is to inspect those graves, which are the most moving and visible demonstration of the deep commitments that Commonwealth members feel to each other.

As I said, it is a significant year for the Commonwealth. Together, we will work to support growth, strengthen democracy and the rule of law, and back vulnerable states as they respond to climate change. We are determined to enhance co-operation in the months and years to come to ensure that the Commonwealth continues to deliver for all its citizens.

Question put and agreed to.