President Paul Kagame and the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, have on announced that the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) has been set for the week of 20 June, 2022.

CHOGM was due to have been held in Kigali in June 2020 but has been postponed twice due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Announcing the development in a joint statement published on Monday, January 31, President Kagame said that the last two years have made clear the global connection and need to work together to achieve tangible and sustainable results.

"Rwanda is pleased to welcome all delegates and participants to Kigali for a safe and productive CHOGM Rwanda 2022. The last two years have made it clear to us that we are more connected than ever before and we must work together to achieve the tangible and sustainable results we want,” the President is quoted in the statement.

"The long awaited meeting will be an important occasion to come together to address the challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and to build on innovative technological and economic opportunities to solve other key problems facing our citizens," he added.

On her part, Scotland said that the meeting in Rwanda will provide "a real opportunity” to reaffirm the values that bind the Commonwealth together and focus on vital issues, including the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, tackling climate change and poverty, boosting trade and promoting sustainable development.

"We have adapted throughout the pandemic, holding ministerial meetings online. It is with great joy and anticipation that I look ahead to a face-to-face Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. 

This will be the first CHOGM to be held in Africa for over a decade and I would like to commend the Government and people of Rwanda for their outstanding commitment and dedication to delivering an exemplary CHOGM in Kigali.”

She thanked Rwandans "for their grace and fortitude in undertaking such detailed preparations to ensure a safe, secure and productive CHOGM that drives the Commonwealth forward in these trying times.”

The leaders’ summit, which is preceded by meetings for representatives from Commonwealth networks for youth, women, civil society and business, will be held in Kigali.

The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 54 independent and equal countries. Representing a third of the world it is home to 2.4 billion people and includes both advanced economies and developing countries.

It had earlier been said that over 8,000 guests would be expected in the country for CHOGM and the several meetings organized on its margins.