\n The Commonwealth Secretariat announces\u00a0the\u00a0appointment of\u00a0His\u00a0Excellency\u00a0Prof Stephen Montefort, High Commissioner of Malta\u00a0in the United Kingdom\u00a0(UK),\u00a0as new Chairperson of its Board of Governors.\u00a0\u00a0\n <\/p>\n
Prof\u00a0Montefort\u00a0assumed the role as Chairperson on\u00a01 July 2026\u00a0for\u00a0a two-year term.\u00a0He\u00a0has been serving on the Board of Governors since\u00a0taking\u00a0office as\u00a0Malta\u2019s\u00a0High Commissioner\u00a0to the UK\u00a0in January 2025.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
All 56 Commonwealth member\u00a0countries\u00a0are represented on the Commonwealth Secretariat Board of Governors by their High Commissioners. The role of the Board of Governors is\u00a0to\u00a0approve the\u00a0Secretariat\u2019s\u00a0strategic plans, work\u00a0programmes\u00a0and budgets.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Welcoming the appointment, Commonwealth Secretary-General, Hon Shirley Botchwey, said:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI am delighted to\u00a0announce that\u00a0Prof\u00a0Montefort\u00a0has taken up the reigns as Chairperson\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0Commonwealth\u00a0Secretariat Board of Governors.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u00a0will play\u00a0an important role\u00a0as we continue to implement the Strategic Plan 2025-2030,\u00a0and the Commonwealth reform agenda\u00a0at this critical time\u00a0of global disruption and stalling growth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe joins as Chairperson\u00a0as\u00a0we prepare for\u00a0a defining and consequential\u00a0Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in\u00a0Antigua and Barbuda in\u00a0November.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His Excellency Rajendra Singh, High Commissioner of Guyana, assumed the role of Chairperson\u00a0of the Executive Committee, also with effect from 1 July 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Chairperson of the Board of Governors and the representative of the Chair in Office\u00a0of the Commonwealth\u00a0also sit on the Executive Committee.\u00a0The current Chair in Office is the\u00a0Prime Minister of the\u00a0Independent\u00a0State of Samoa\u00a0and will handover to\u00a0Prime Minister of\u00a0Antigua and Barbuda, incoming Chair-in-Office\u00a0at\u00a0the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in St John\u2019s in November\u00a02026.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Executive Committee is a sub-committee of the Board of Governors that can make policy recommendations to the Board and oversees\u00a0budgets and audit functions. The Executive Committee includes the eight largest contributors to the Secretariat\u2019s total resources, with\u00a0additional\u00a0member countries from each region elected to serve two-year terms.\u00a0<\/p>\n