CHOGM ends, adopts ‘Aso Rock Declaration’
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Dec 8, 2003, 14:42

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting ended in Abuja on 8 December with the adoption of the Aso Rock Commonwealth Declaration on Development and Democracy: Partnership for Peace and Prosperity.

The Declaration calls for the enthronement of good governance, rule of law, empowerment of disadvantaged groups, transparency and accountability, protection of human rights, economic development and the realisation of Millennium development Goals.

A communiqué issued at the end of the Meeting, encourages member states to assist one another in recovering “assets of illicit origin and repatriate them to their countries of origin”.

The commonwealth secretary general was thus requested to establish a Commonwealth Working group to assist in realising this objective.

It also sought for ‘ a deeper, broader and more flexible approach to debt relief and debt cancellation for developing member countries’.

The leaders urged the international community to ensure that the Official Development Assistance (ODA) target is achieved. This can be achieved through
· Improved aid effectiveness,
· Support for social safety nets to reduce the impact of poverty on the most vulnerable groups,
· Strengthening the capacity of international financial system to assist poor countries respond to imbalance in trade relations and natural disasters,
· Encouraging private sector involvement in trade promotion and greater participation of poor and vulnerable groups in the preparation of poverty reduction strategy papers for the IMF, World Bank and wider donor community.

On health, the leaders recognised the threat of HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis to sustainable development and called for the interpretation and implementation of a recent WTO agreement on making appropriate drugs available at low cost to poor countries.

They also recognised the growing problem of human trafficking, especially in women and children and called on member countries, which have not ratified the UN Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime and Protocols to do so.

The leaders have all departed to their countries after choosing Malta and Uganda as hosts of the 2005 and 2007 editions respectively.


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