WATCH: Prince of Wales's Remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the CHOGM 2022

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Transcript

00:00 (APPLAUSE)

00:05 Your Majesties, Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

00:16 on behalf of the Queen in this platinum jubilee year,

00:22 my wife and I are delighted to be with you all here in Rwanda

00:27 for this 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.

00:32 I'd particularly like to thank President Kagame

00:37 and the people of Rwanda

00:39 for the most impressive preparations they have made.

00:44 I know how difficult the decisions were

00:47 to postpone this important gathering as a result of COVID

00:53 and can only applaud Rwanda's determination

00:57 and patience in ensuring our gathering is successful.

01:02 Throughout her reign, the Queen has placed

01:08 and continues to place the greatest importance

01:12 on the common friendship, humanity and values

01:17 that all of us share in this room,

01:20 not despite, but because of the diversity

01:24 the Commonwealth represents.

01:27 And I know how grateful she is that in recognition

01:31 of Her Majesty's unstinting service to our Commonwealth family,

01:37 all Commonwealth member states have announced

01:40 that they have now committed themselves

01:43 to the Queen's Commonwealth canopy.

01:46 I treasure the friendships we have built

01:52 over these past 70 years

01:55 and look forward to their deepening in the years ahead.

02:00 As we build back from the pandemic

02:04 that has devastated so many lives,

02:08 as we respond to climate change and biodiversity loss

02:12 that threatens our very existence,

02:16 and as we see lives destroyed

02:19 by the unattenuated aggression of violent forces,

02:24 such friendships are more important than ever.

02:29 I take heart from the fact that working together

02:33 and with urgent intent, there is a path to build

02:37 a future for humanity that is sustainable,

02:40 prosperous and just.

02:44 Our Commonwealth family is, and will always remain,

02:48 a free association of independent, self-governing nations.

02:54 We meet and talk as equals,

02:58 sharing our knowledge and experience for the betterment

03:02 of all citizens of the Commonwealth

03:04 and indeed the wider world.

03:06 The Commonwealth contains within it countries

03:13 that have had constitutional relationships with my family,

03:18 some that continue to do so,

03:21 and increasingly those that have had none.

03:24 I want to say clearly, as I have said before,

03:30 that each member's constitutional arrangement

03:34 as Republic or monarchy is purely a matter

03:38 for each member country to decide.

03:40 The benefit of long life brings me the experience

03:46 that arrangements such as these can change calmly

03:51 and without rancor.

03:52 But as I said in Barbados last November,

03:56 we should never forget the things which do not change,

04:01 the close and trusted partnership

04:04 between Commonwealth members,

04:07 our common values and shared goals,

04:11 and perhaps most importantly,

04:14 the strong and enduring connections

04:17 between the peoples of the Commonwealth

04:19 which strengthen us all.

04:21 These shared values, goals, and friendships

04:28 transcend the ties of shared history,

04:32 as we saw in welcoming Mozambique and Rwanda

04:36 to this great family of nations.

04:38 And now, coming to Rwanda for the first time,

04:43 visiting the Genocide Memorial and speaking to survivors,

04:49 I have been overwhelmed by the resilience,

04:53 grace, and determination of the Rwandan people.

04:57 Today, Rwanda upholds so much that is extraordinary

05:04 as a center for innovation,

05:08 a world leader in women's empowerment,

05:11 a growing hub for the green economy,

05:15 and a commitment to a united future.

05:18 As leaders, you consider how to define

05:23 and strengthen our own commitment to common purpose,

05:27 and I would only offer you the view

05:30 that our Commonwealth family

05:32 of some of the world's most vulnerable

05:34 and some of the world's wealthiest nations

05:37 has the ability, indeed the obligation,

05:41 to be a force for global public good.

05:47 Why else, ladies and gentlemen,

05:49 would an increasing number of countries

05:51 want to join this association?

05:53 In the diversity of the 2.6 billion people

06:00 on whose behalf you speak,

06:03 comes great strength, which you could use, for instance,

06:07 to speak up for the values which bind us,

06:10 to invest in a rapid transition to a sustainable future,

06:14 and to create opportunities for our young people.

06:17 I believe that the Commonwealth is uniquely positioned

06:22 to achieve such positive change in our world.

06:25 And in speaking to you over the years, I know you agree.

06:31 Indeed, I can only applaud the focus you are bringing

06:34 to supporting youth, business, and civil society,

06:38 not least through the Commonwealth Professional Associations

06:42 of Judges, Teachers, and Midwives, to name but three.

06:46 I know the importance you attach to ensuring

06:50 that support reaches the developing world,

06:53 and how important is the work you are undertaking

06:56 to develop new approaches

06:58 which take account of climate vulnerability,

07:01 to enable the better channeling of development assistance.

07:06 I was also greatly heartened at yesterday's business forum

07:11 to see Commonwealth leaders and global CEOs,

07:15 including from my Sustainable Markets Initiative,

07:18 identifying practical solutions to these vital challenges.

07:22 To achieve this potential good, however,

07:27 and to unlock the power of our common future,

07:30 we must also acknowledge the wrongs

07:33 which have shaped our past.

07:35 Many of those wrongs belong to an earlier age

07:40 with different and in some ways lesser values.

07:44 By working together,

07:48 we are building a new and enduring friendship.

07:51 In Canada recently, my wife and I were deeply touched

07:58 to meet many of those engaged

08:00 in the ongoing process of reconciliation,

08:03 indigenous and non-indigenous peoples

08:07 reflecting honestly and openly

08:10 on one of the darkest aspects of history.

08:13 As challenging as that conversation can be,

08:18 people across Canada are approaching it

08:20 with courage and unwavering commitment,

08:24 determined to lay a foundation of respect

08:27 and understanding upon which a better future can be built.

08:31 It seems to me that there are lessons in this

08:36 for our Commonwealth family.

08:38 For while we strive together for peace,

08:42 prosperity and democracy,

08:44 I want to acknowledge that the roots

08:47 of our contemporary association

08:49 run deep into the most painful period of our history.

08:53 I cannot describe the depths of my personal sorrow

08:59 at the suffering of so many

09:01 as I continue to deepen my own understanding

09:05 of slavery's enduring impact.

09:07 If we are to forge a common future

09:14 that benefits all our citizens,

09:17 we too must find ways, new ways to acknowledge our past.

09:22 Quite simply, this is a conversation whose time has come.

09:27 Your Excellencies, conversations start with listening

09:33 and as the Queen said at our last meeting,

09:36 the Commonwealth has always been and remains

09:39 a global association which believes

09:43 in the tangible benefits that flow

09:45 from exchanging ideas and experiences

09:48 and respecting each other's point of view.

09:50 Our ingenuity, knowledge and ideas,

09:55 our courage and determination are truly our Commonwealth.

10:00 By unlocking our potential,

10:03 we can build a future in which all our people have a stake,

10:07 ensuring that our Commonwealth Charter

10:10 represents not just words on a page,

10:13 but the lived experience of all.

10:15 And in so doing, we will equip our children

10:21 and grandchildren to be agents of a better future.

10:24 Your Excellencies, if we are to leave the world

10:28 better than we found it,

10:31 and that is our duty and our privilege,

10:33 we must be bold with our ambition,

10:36 decisive with our actions and united in our effort.

10:40 In this mission, I know Her Majesty the Queen

10:45 stands with us all.

10:46 (audience applauding)

10:52 (upbeat music)

10:54 (audience applauding)

10:57 (audience applauding)

11:01 [MUSIC PLAYING]

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