In 1985, the Commonwealth stood at a crossroads. Leaders from across the globe gathered in The Bahamas, facing a moral crisis that demanded courage—apartheid in South Africa. The world watched, uncertain whether we would rise to the occasion.
But in Nassau, the Commonwealth made a choice that would reverberate through history. We did not waver. We did not hedge. We stood firm, signing the Nassau Accord and declaring, with one voice, that injustice would not be tolerated. This was not just diplomacy—it was an act of collective conviction, a powerful message that when the Commonwealth acts as one, we can bend the arc of history.
Today, we find ourselves at another defining moment. The challenges we face may look different, but they are no less urgent. Climate change is not some distant threat—it’s here, washing away our shores, scorching our lands, and reshaping our lives. Economic disparities widen, leaving many of our nations struggling to access the basic tools for development. The barriers to trade, finance, and innovation hold back the potential of millions. Yet here we are, a Commonwealth of 2.5 billion people, a third of humanity. And the question before us is clear: do we have the courage to act, to harness this immense power and forge a better future? Will we seize this moment, or will we let it slip away?
This year’s Commonwealth Business Forum—One Resilient Common Future: Transforming Our Common Wealth— is a call to action, a chance to decide what kind of future we want to build. We are here because we understand the stakes. It is not enough to convene and discuss. We must be bold, daring, and unafraid to make decisions that will shape the course of our shared future. We must unlock access to finance, break down the walls that limit trade, and push forward with innovation that fuels sustainability and resilience.
This is not the time for small steps. This is the time for leaps.
Imagine a Commonwealth where every nation, no matter how small or remote, has equal access to opportunity; where a farmer in the Caribbean can connect effortlessly with markets in Africa, where ideas and innovations flow freely across our borders, uniting us in a web of shared prosperity.
This is not a dream. It is a vision we can make real. But it demands that we stand together, that we face our fears and uncertainties head-on, and that we commit—truly commit—to a future where prosperity is shared, not hoarded.
The strength of the Commonwealth has always been our ability to unite around shared values, to find common purpose in the face of great challenges. The Nassau Accord showed the world that when we are resolute, when we act with courage and unity, we can change the course of history. Now, it is our turn to stand in that legacy, to meet the defining challenges of our time with the same strength of spirit.
Friends, we have all traveled from distant shores because we believe in the family of the Commonwealth and its vast potential. We understand that when the Commonwealth unites, we are stronger than any challenge that stands before us.
Let this be the moment when we transform our collective strength into real action.
We have shown our power before, and together, we can do it again.
