Commonwealth: Heads of Government Meeting
House of Lords
Lord Wills (Labour)
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have considered not attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka.
Lord Howell of Guildford (Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Conservative)
It is too early to talk about attendance at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). We have made clear to the Sri Lankans that we want to see a successful CHOGM in 2013. We will look to Sri Lanka as host to demonstrate its commitment to upholding the Commonwealth values of good governance and human rights. A key part of this will be to address longstanding issues around accountability and reconciliation after the war.