Category FAQs Search : Commonwealth
Question: Fast Facts: Commonwealth Secretary-General
Answer: Mandate and Tenure
The Commonwealth Secretary-General promotes and protects the Commonwealth’s values and principles as reflected in the Commonwealth Charter.
The Secretary-General also represents the Commonwealth globally, and manages the Commonwealth Secretariat.
The Secretary-General maintains regular high-level contacts with Commonwealth governments as well as civil society and other leaders.
In addition, he or she exercises a ‘Good Offices for Peace’ role to work with leaders when political tensions arise in member states.
The Secretary-General is selected by consensus by Commonwealth leaders and can serve a maximum of two four-year terms. The post was created together with the Commonwealth Secretariat at the 1965
Commonwealth Prime Ministers Conference in London, United Kingdom. Since then there have been six incumbents.
Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC became Secretary General on 1 April 2016 having been appointed by Heads of Government at their meeting in November 2015.
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(Source: Commonwealth Secretariat , 22 Apr 2021)