His Majesty King Letsie III of Lesotho expressed his strong support for the Commonwealth Secretary-General , Patricia Scotland’s, “inspiring approaches”, when he received her during his visit to London this week.
His Majesty King Letsie III of Lesotho expressed his strong support for the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland’s, “inspiring approaches”, when he received her during his visit to London this week.
His Majesty spoke of his pleasure at being able to meet Secretary-General Scotland so early in her tenure, which began in April 2016. He commended the Commonwealth’ s work, which includes providing guidance and technical assistance to the Government and people of Lesotho, as they continue to move forward with a process of political reform and enhanced systems of governance and justice.
The King thanked the Secretary-General for the continuing Commonwealth contribution towards building resilience and overcoming the vulnerabilities to which small countries are particularly susceptible. He acknowledged the help being provided to build capacity, and noted that Commonwealth assistance in areas such as trade and education is strengthening Lesotho both economically and socially and bringing real benefits to all its people.
Expressing appreciation for Lesotho’s contribution to the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation, Secretary-General Scotland mentioned that one of her first engagements on taking office had been to welcome the Deputy Prime Minister of Lesotho, Mothetjoa Metsing, and an accompanying delegation of ministers, officials and business representatives to Marlborough House, the London headquarters of the Commonwealth. The Deputy Prime Minister and his delegation were attending the Lesotho Investment Forum 2016, organised by the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council.
The Secretary-General highlighted the value of the Commonwealth Small States Offices at the multilateral hubs in Geneva and New York, to Lesotho and other small states. She advised His Majesty that there will soon be a Commonwealth Office for Criminal and Civil Justice Reform to offer templates for legislation and draw together best practices for implementation. The King welcomed the creation of this new Commonwealth facility, which he recognised as another example of the vision and energy Secretary-General Scotland is bringing to the Commonwealth.
Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA
