[Blog] Commonwealth Day: Together We Thrive

By H.E. Charlotte Pierre British High Commissioner to Mauritius

Today, we are celebrating Commonwealth Day, bringing together some 2.7 billion citizens from 56 countries in the spirit of shared values across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Americas, the Pacific, and Europe. This year is the 76th anniversary of the Commonwealth. Over nearly eight decades, the Commonwealth Family has shown strength and resilience in overcoming challenges to build free, democratic, peaceful societies.

On Commonwealth Day, we celebrate this strength and resilience, as well as the history, rich heritage and cultural diversity that unites us across borders. As His Majesty King Charles III said at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in October 2024, his first as Head of the Commonwealth: “together, we represent a third of humanity, with all the splendidly diverse complexity that this entails. And yet we know and understand each other, such that we can discuss the most challenging issues with openness and respect.”

The theme of this year’s Commonwealth Day is “Together We Thrive”, a theme which aligns to the values of peace, unity and equality which are so important to Mauritius and to the UK. These values are important if we are to reach our shared goal of a future rich with opportunities, and resilient to the challenges confronting our world today. At last year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, the UK announced a package of measures with four key objectives, embodying our commitment to ensuring that our community of nations will thrive.

Firstly, the UK is helping to protect the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including Mauritius. The climate crisis is the greatest challenge our generation faces. The path to economic progress is only possible if we are able to collectively pursue and implement climate solutions which deliver tangible and measurable results. In Mauritius, we are providing support through the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub, working with local experts to deliver national action on climate change. The UK has also been supporting Mauritius in its climate agenda through the Taskforce on Access to Climate Finance. In partnership with Mauritius, the UK is mobilising finance, strengthening climate policy and driving capacity building, having seconded two senior experts within the Ministry of Finance. We are also working closely with the private sector and business leaders in Mauritius, who have a crucial role to play in this fight.

Secondly, we are working collaboratively to boost intra-Commonwealth trade and investment and increase shared prosperity. The UK-Mauritius trade relationship is worth Rs 70 billion (£1.2 billion) annually. Mauritius is one of the UK’s ten biggest markets in Africa, while the UK remains Mauritius’s second biggest export market. We continue to drive growth together through the UK-Mauritius Strategic Trade Partnership, launched in 2023. Last month, we were thrilled to welcome His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner (HMTC) for Africa, John Humphrey, to Mauritius. The Commissioner’s visit reflects the UK’s commitment to increase the scope and scale of our trade and investment with Mauritius for mutual growth, across different sectors – from financial services (the remaining international banks in Mauritius, HSBC and Standard Chartered, are British), education to the green economy. By removing trade barriers and making trade smooth, we will accelerate sustainable growth within the Commonwealth. Sustainable economic growth, aligning closely with our climate goals and work, is fundamental to create opportunities and jobs.

Third, we want to empower young people by increasing access to education and skills. As a global leader in education and research, one of the UK’s top priorities is to improve access to higher education and skills training for all young people, especially for women and girls. One of the ways we are achieving this is through education partnerships between governments and institutions. Most recently, we have launched a partnership between the MCCI Business School and the University of London. And the UK university branch campuses (Middlesex University, University of Central Lancashire and Glasgow Caledonian University) here in Mauritius mean Mauritian students can obtain a UK degree/qualification without leaving the country. It also reinforces Mauritius’ ambition to be a regional education hub for Africa as the offer extends beyond Mauritius.

By investing in the youth, we are investing in the architects of the future who will lead change. Fourthly and finally, the UK is committed support democratic governance, human rights, and the rule of law. Last year, the UK and Mauritius both saw general elections in our countries, a powerful demonstration of our enduring and resilient democratic foundations. As Commonwealth democracies, we must continue to take proactive steps to strengthen, protect, and preserve our institutions for the long term. The Commonwealth is a family of independent nations, driven by a shared vision and collective courage to build a prosperous and greener future for our people and our children. It is only by continuing to work closely together that we can build a bright and sustainable future.