Political issues should not inhibit cooperation in other fields at CHOGM: GL

Saturday, 9 November 2013 06:31 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Shabiya Ali Ahlam Political issues will be extensively discussed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) that will take place next week, but it should not inhibit cooperation in other fields, said Minister of External Affairs Prof. G. L. Peiris yesterday. While the Commonwealth must be seen as an organisation that delivers benefits to the people, for it to be relevant he said its discussions and deliberations must not appear remote to the lives of ordinary people. “The Commonwealth must be developed as an instrument for devising and implementing policies which will result in uplifting the

standards of lives of our people. We need to concern ourselves with the looming issues that take place in the Commonwealth nations,” stressed Prof. Peiris at the launch of the Commonwealth Accountants Association (CAA) that was held in Colombo. He further emphasised that the “burning issues” that are of most importance should not be relegated to the background of the event. “The political issues must not crowd out economic and social issues that are at the very heart of the relevance of the Commonwealth. If it (Commonwealth) is to flourish as a vibrant institution that builds the confidence of the people, there must be proper focuses in finding the solutions to the social issues,” asserted Peiris. Furthermore, he noted that it is important that the Commonwealth does not take after one particular culture and way of looking at situations. “The Commonwealth above all is a celebration of diversity and its richness derives from that diversity,” he added. From Sri Lanka’s perspective, the Minister stated that the leadership of the country was eager that the Commonwealth would bring meaning and substance to the nation’s people. It is this notion he said that led to the Commonwealth meetings to have its theme revolve around economic development underpinned by social equity. “It is the matter of importance to all of us to ensure that economic development does not consist of mere figures such as the per capita income or GDP growth. It must have a direct impact on the quality of life of the people who inhabit all the countries that comprises the Commonwealth. Important as governments are – there are 53 governments that are attending the event – the people themselves are at the core of this event,” said Peiris.