KIGALI, Rwanda — Leaders from 54 countries have started to arrive in Kigali for the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), the sixth time the event has been hosted by an African country.

The week-long summit is being held under the theme ‘Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming’, and will be highlighted by the election of a secretary general to serve for the next two years.

Incumbent Baroness Patricia Scotland is scheduled to be challenged by Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kamina Johnson Smith and Tuvalu’s former Governor General Sir Iakoba Taeia Italeli.

Scotland was elected to the post at the CHOGM in Malta in 2015 and took office on April 1, 2016, becoming the second secretary general from the Caribbean and the first woman to hold the post.

Her first term was scheduled to end in 2020 but the member states agreed to retain her as the novel coronavirus pandemic disrupted the CHOGM schedule.

Meetings began in the Rwandan capital on Sunday with four fora — covering youth, women, business and civil society — and culminating with the official retreat for leaders at Intare Conference Arena on Saturday, June 25.

At the leaders’ retreat, the heads of government will meet privately to discuss collaboration on global and Commonwealth priorities.

In her statement to mark the start of the summit, Scotland made no mention of the challenge to her leadership as she focused on other key issues.

“Since the last time the Commonwealth family came together for CHOGM in 2018, the onset of COVID-19, new and ongoing conflicts, and the accelerated impact of climate change have fundamentally altered the global landscape and tested our resilience.

“This succession of events has changed lives, livelihoods, communities and economies. We know that in times of crises the poor and most vulnerable are disproportionately affected. Many development gains, likewise, have been thrown off track while others have regressed,” said Scotland.

“That’s why with eight years to go until the sustainable development goals end game, leaders at CHOGM are committed to harnessing lessons learned, working together, and taking inspiration from the innovative solutions that we’ve seen emerge over the past few years.

“The Commonwealth is a bedrock for member states — rooted in a shared history, collective aspirations, and progressive solutions. At a time when multilateralism is under serious strain, CHOGM offers a vital forum to deliver the objectives of member states and an opportunity to draw upon all the talents of the member states to deliver a smarter, more resilient, prosperous, confident and sustainable Commonwealth,” added Scotland.

A ministerial meeting for the Commonwealth’s 32 small island developing states is scheduled for Wednesday, June 22 at which economic vulnerability, climate action, and access to finance and debt sustainability are expected to top the agenda.

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group — which assesses countries at risk of breaching fundamental political values — will also meet on June 22.

On Thursday, June 23, Commonwealth foreign ministers will convene ahead of the main CHOGM sessions to review the leaders’ agenda and receive outcomes from the four fora for consideration by the heads of government.

Several side meetings will take place during CHOGM and cover topics including violence against women and girls, climate change, access to justice, and sustainable ocean protection and economic development.

The formal opening ceremony takes place on Friday, June 24 at the Kigali Convention Centre and is to be followed by closed-door executive sessions at which leaders will consider a range of topical issues including post-COVID-19 economic recovery, debt sustainability, climate change, trade, and food security.