PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia celebrates Commonwealth Day Monday (March 14), together with 53 other member countries.

       Celebrated annually on the second Monday in March, the occasion commemorates the common bond, friendship and contributions of the Commonwealth to the creation of peace and harmony.

       The celebration for this year’s Commonwealth Day is centred on the theme for the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2022, which is "Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming".

       CHOGM 2022 aspires to transform the whole of the Commonwealth into societies underpinned by common values such as democracy, multilateralism and sustainable development, a statement from the Foreign Ministry said.

       The Commonwealth was established in 1949 and Malaysia became a member in 1957.

       As a member of the Commonwealth, Malaysia hosted the 11th CHOGM in 1989.

       During that meeting, leaders endorsed the Langkawi Declaration on the Environment, a landmark document for member countries to strengthen cooperation in tackling environmental issues.

       In 1998, Malaysia was also the first Asian country to host the Commonwealth Games.

       The statement said Malaysia looked forward to the upcoming 26th CHOGM in Kigali, Republic of Rwanda in June.

       At this year's summit, Commonwealth leaders are expected to discuss issues of mutual interest relating to economic recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic, equitable access to and distribution of vaccines, environmental issues, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 targets. – Bernama