MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Tony Blair: “Bridging many of the world's divides”

Primer Minster Tony Blair

British Prime Minister marked Commonwealth Day by praising the work of the community in “bridging many of the world's divides”. The 53 member nations work together to “promote peace, democracy, development and international understanding”, he said.

This year's Commonwealth Day theme is "Respecting Difference, Promoting Understanding. On Commonwealth Day the United Kingdom celebrates its membership of the family of Commonwealth nations. "This year's Commonwealth Day theme is Respecting Difference, Promoting Understanding. The United Kingdom, like the majority of our Commonwealth partners, is a diverse nation, made up of different communities, cultures and faiths. All Commonwealth societies face new realities and challenges in today's global world. Developments in communication, travel and international finance mean that we are ever more closely interconnected and affected by events on the broader stage. Ensuring that we respect differences and deepen understanding between ourselves has never been more vital. That is why we support, strongly, the work being done by the Commonwealth Commission on Respect and Understanding which will deliver a report of its findings to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala later this year. "Today gives us the opportunity to think about what the Commonwealth means to us personally, and the unique role it plays. Our thoughts this year are made more poignant by the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade. The Trans-Atlantic slave trade stands as one of the most inhuman enterprises in history. In this bicentenary year we want to remember those who suffered and who campaigned for abolition, but also to raise awareness of the millions of people living in contemporary slavery today. The anniversary is a chance for all of us to deepen our understanding of the heritage we share, celebrate the richness of our diversity and increase our determination to shape the world with the values we share, as epitomized by our Commonwealth of Nations. "Its 53 member countries represent all five continents, have very different economic situations, and contain nearly 2 billion of the world's population. It provides a bridge across many of the world's divides. Its nations work together, voluntarily, governed by a set of core values and principles, to promote peace, democracy, development and international understanding. The United Kingdom is proud to be a part of that work".