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The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will visit Ghana from 2 to 6 November 2018. During the visit, Their Royal Highnesses will celebrate the close relationship between the UK and Ghana, the importance of our Commonwealth ties and our shared values.
The West Africa tour will be The Prince of Wales’ and The Duchess of Cornwall’s first visit to the Commonwealth since Commonwealth Heads of Government unanimously decided The Prince should succeed Her Majesty The Queen as the future Head of the Commonwealth, during the Commonwealth Summit held in London in April.
The Summit was the largest of its kind in British history, with leaders agreeing a range of actions to build a reformed and revitalised Commonwealth that is fairer, more sustainable, prosperous and secure.
The Commonwealth has been a fundamental feature for The Prince of Wales throughout his life. His Royal Highness often speaks fondly about being part of the Commonwealth family.
On 5 November, he will give a speech at the Accra International Conference Centre, where he we share his reflections on the Commonwealth. He will be joined His Excellency President Nana Akufo-Addo, representatives from Commonwealth organisations and a cross-section of Ghana’s youth who represent the future of the Commonwealth.
His Royal Highness will recognise the value of this diverse community, the unique qualities that each bring and our collective ability to create a more positive future for the 1 billion Commonwealth citizens living in 53 member states.
The visit will highlight a number of important commitments made by the Commonwealth Heads of Government during the Commonwealth Summit.
The UK and Ghana are members of the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance and, at the Summit, made a commitment to work together to protect our oceans by taking steps to eliminate avoidable plastic waste.
The Prince of Wales will bring together global partners at a Plastics Roundtable to discuss implementation of the Commonwealth Blue Charter and our collective responsibility to tackle marine plastic pollution. He will see the work of local artists who are turning plastic waste into art to raise awareness about plastic pollution.
Young people make up 60% of the Commonwealth. The Duchess of Cornwall, joined by Her Excellency The First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo, will launch the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition, the world’s oldest international schools’ writing competition.
Commonwealth youth under the age of 18 are invited to express their hopes for the future, opinions of the present and thoughts on the past. This is the first time this competition, an important platform for the voices of young people, will be launched outside the UK. This event will be one of the first of Her Royal Highness’ activities in her new role as Royal Commonwealth Society Vice Patron, which was announced earlier this year.
The Commonwealth brings people together through a shared sense of purpose and common values. The Duchess of Cornwall will celebrate what unites us at the Commonwealth Big Lunch, a festive gathering that will bring together children from schools across Accra to celebrate the shared values of the Commonwealth and to promote Ghana’s rich cultural diversity and community spirit.
Since its creation, the Commonwealth has had a lasting impact on the promotion of peace, democracy and human rights. Their Royal Highnesses will recognise the sacrifices that have been made by the UK, Ghana and other Commonwealth nations to create a more secure world. They will lay wreaths at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery, to acknowledge the sacrifice made by Ghanaian and British soldiers during the First and Second World Wars, and in more recent times during international peacekeeping missions.
They will be joined by His Excellency The President, The First Lady and His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex. As the Centenary of the Great War approaches, Their Royal Highnesses will reflect on the Commonwealth’s ongoing efforts to respond to today’s global security challenges.
British High Commissioner, H.E. Iain Walker said:
"The Royal Visit comes at an exciting time for the both the UK and Ghana. In the six months since the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, the Commonwealth has been working together to drive forward our commitments to build a Commonwealth that is fairer, more sustainable, prosperous and secure. Their Royal Highnesses’ visit is a moment to celebrate the warm, enduring relationship and our shared ambition for the Commonwealth."
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of British High Commission Accra.
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