Patricia Scotland, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, is keeping a hold on her seat as she is well-liked by the member states, according to a recent survey. The survey findings are based on the research conducted within the 54 Commonwealth nations that elect Secretary General for a term of “four years”.
Patricia Scotland, aka Patricia Janet Scotland, is serving as the sixth secretary-general of the Commonwealth of Nations. she was the first woman to become the Commonwealth Secretary from Dominica. Scotland was elected at the 2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and took office on April 1, 2016.
As per the reports, Jamaica’s Candidate for the position of Commonwealth Secretary General, Kamina Johnson Smith, has visited various Commonwealth nations, still, it has been estimated that she will not be able to get as much as support from many countries.
Whereas, the surveys have also indicated that the bid of Scotland has received full support from the member states for reappointment for a second term.
The Secretary-General is appointed by Commonwealth leaders as well as can serve for a maximum of two terms that consist of four years.
The meetings were delayed because of the complications caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Currently, her second term will be finished in 2024.
According to the reports, the decision on the meeting of a Secretary-General will be made during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which is going on in Kigali, Rwanda, from June 20 to 25, 2022.
The appointment has generated a lot of controversies between the two contenders and their respective nations. The discussion was launched when Kamina Johnson Smith, Jamaica’s minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, announced her candidacy for the top position.
Patricia Scotland has been in Rwanda for the CHOGM 2022, where she addressed the commonwealth women’s forum and outlined its significance. She said, “When I became secretary general in 2016, I vowed that we would put the wealth back into Commonwealth. But I understand that we were determined to put the common back into wealth & those common needs that women should be at the table.”
Scotland announced, having earlier hailed Rwanda for its work on gender equality, “Gender empowerment and inclusiveness are central to that mission. I am proud of what we have accomplished together. Gender equality is at the heart of our collective social and economic development, democracy, and peace-building goals and is critical to combating climate change.”
She has become a true breakthrough for gender equality.
Rwanda has been a winner of gender equality as well as women empowerment in current years, but Scotland complained that this remains the exception & not the rule in several Commonwealth states.
Scotland noted that this is the first CHOGM in Africa for over ten years, with Rwanda being the first African State to organize a CWF, “It may have been a long time coming, but it is here now, which is led by the beautiful jewel that is Rwanda, ‘The land of a thousand hills, & also ‘The land of a thousand opportunities.”
“It speaks to this spirit of our Commonwealth connection as well as a corporation & how countries work jointly with understanding & respect in our support for one another,” said Scotland.
“This women’s forum & CHOGM is our chance to build on our Commonwealth advantage of similar systems of democratic governance, common law, shared language, and compatible institutions to drive progress for which we all hunger and thirst,” she said.
“Our ability to bring together leaders as well as ministers, civil society & change-makers is unique. As we meet in Kigali, we must be honest about the challenges we face & we must be confident in our ability to seize the moment as well as build something better,” she argued.
Scotland charged that the Commonwealth needs to put the disproportionate impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic on women and girls front and centre while recognizing the impact of vaccine inequality, the lived reality of economic insecurity and the rising prevalence of gender-based violence.
She also argued that it is the profound responsibility of the Commonwealth to put women as well as girls at the heart of its response to the pandemic while striving to end domestic, workplace, societal, and political violence.
“We must aim together to unleash the potential of all women as well as girls in the Commonwealth & improve their opportunities to contribute to every sphere of their social, economic, as well as political endeavour — and this forum is a golden opportunity to take decisive steps towards these goals as well as build a safer, more secure, more prosperous future for all,” stated Scotland.
Additionally, in one of her interviews, Scotland declared that she is getting a positive response on an everyday basis as well as over half of the nation is in favour of her.
Along with this, the leader of Scotland has received a lot of appreciation from the entire world, and the whole Caribbean region is feeling the deep pleasure of the appointment of the first lady as a Secretary-General.
Furthermore, her direction over the past years has significantly helped the Commonwealth enhance various skills.
The Prime Minister of United Kingdom, Boris Johnson was not in support for Patricia Scotland because she has earlier served as the minister in the UK labour party and at that time, Boris Johnson was in the opposition party. Which made him against Patricia Scotland and favouring the other candidate.
The PM Johnson was propagating against her.
