CARIBBEAN-Commonwealth Day highlights the importance of former British colonies.

LONDON, MC -Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland KC, Monday said its unique qualities and advantages mean that the Commonwealth in 2023 “is not simply a part of the international system, it is a beacon within it.”

In a message to mark Commonwealth Day, Dominican-born Scotland said these qualities shine in the fact that, with a multilateral system under strain, “the Commonwealth is growing, precisely because of what we stand for and what we can deliver.

“So, on this tenth anniversary of our (Commonwealth) Charter, as we renew our commitment to its values and each other, let us resolve together to ensure that in the years to come, we make the peaceful and sustainable common future we all strive for a reality for the whole Commonwealth.”

The Commonwealth of Nations was formed in 1949 to maintain an association between countries that had once been part of the British colonies but which were considered ‘free and equal.’

The political association now groups 56 member states, including Caribbean ones. At 2.5 billion people, 60 percent under 30, it encompasses around a third of the world’s population. Each Commonwealth country is different, with different histories, different circumstances, and different experiences.

Commonwealth Day has been celebrated on the second Monday in March every year since 1977. Recently, there has been a shift from a single-day observance towards a full-week celebration, with Commonwealth Day as its focal point.

This year, as part of the Commonwealth of Nations Flag for Peace initiative, each Commonwealth country and every United Kingdom city will receive a flag, which they can raise on Commonwealth Day in celebration of the values of the Commonwealth Charter, including democracy, human rights, sustainable development, equality, and respect.

Commonwealth Day is being observed under the theme “Forging a Sustainable and Peaceful Common Future,’ and it will be the first Commonwealth Day presided over by Britain’s King Charles III as head of the Commonwealth, replacing his mother, Queen Elizabeth 11, who died last year after seven decades of service.

“We stand together now to face the challenges and seize tomorrow’s opportunities. Where there is violence and conflict, we work for peace. Where there is insecurity, we protect the culture, process, and institutions of democracy. Where there is poverty, we tackle it. Where there is injustice, we challenge it,” Scotland said

“Where our brothers and sisters have their lives threatened and disrupted by the impacts of climate change, we stand with them, working tirelessly for climate action and a more sustainable world. I believe profoundly that our family of 56 nations and 2.5 billion people is stronger, more vibrant, more connected, and more purposeful than ever,” she added.