Prime Minister Patrick Manning on Sunday called for a greater voice for the peoples of the Commonwealth as he opened the Commonwealth People's Forum at Queen's hall in Port of Spain.
"Our purpose as leaders is to serve the best interest of the two billion people who we represent and that effective service can only come by listening to the voice of the citizenry as expressed by the organisation that represents them," he said in reference to the Commonwealth.
More than 700 representatives of civil society are attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) which begins Friday in Trinidad.
He said dialogue with citizens is at the heart of the theme for CHOGM, with the summit focusing on the need to partner with each other for a more equitable and sustainable future.
"It is really only under totalitarian rule that decisions are taken with complete disregard for the wishes and welfare of the people," Manning noted, adding that in a properly functioning democracy governments operate based on a mandate derived from the popular will.
He reminded his audience that "history will show that where there is deviation from this fundamental principle serious tensions develop", resulting in calamity and chaos".
He said, "It is our responsibility therefore to be sure that there is no devolution on the connection between governors and governed," noting that this is one of the fundamental goals of the Commonwealth.
He said the principles that have governed the Commonwealth have gone a long way to improving the lives of the populations of these countries and he urged his fellow leaders to ensure that they place "very significant emphasis on the People’s Forum as one important way by which we preserve this fundamental partnership".
Manning said democracy would also suffer if citizens are denied an opportunity to participate fully in the development of their countries in such areas as the economy, access to the best possible health care, housing, education and opportunities for equality for all citizens.
"There is no true democracy without it, there must be no discrimination based on race, religion, gender….this is the way to strengthen the social fabric of our nations,” he said.
Manning added that democracy is "so much more than a mere periodic visit to the voting booth...The voice of the people must be continuously heard and of influence felt."
The prime minister said democracy must be guarded and nurtured by all stakeholders, noting that "civil society is fundamental to this process.”
Addressing some of the issues on the agenda for the CHOGM beginning Friday, Manning pointed to a UN report that found that mass starvation, malnutrition and hunger related diseases continue to escalate, especially in many Commonwealth states.
"Something must be done to arrest this situation," he said but at the same time he noted that the global problem of food security would not be solved without dealing with climate change.
He warned that it would be disastrous for everyone if the Copenhagen summit next month fails to “advance the process towards a realistic and legally enforceable agreement for the reduction of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere”.
In his address, Commonwealth Secretary Kamalesh Sharma applauded the role played by civil society over the years.
Human Rights, climate change, health and HIV-AIDS, peace and conflict as well as gender and the global financial crisis are among agenda items civil society representatives will discuss over the next three days. Their recommendations will be forwarded to the leaders.
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