The Commonwealth Business Council is delighted to welcome Hon Julia Gillard MP, Prime Minister of Australia as Chair in Office of the Commonwealth. Prime Minister Gillard took up the role at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, Australia in October 2011 and will serve in this capacity until the next Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka in 2013.

Dr Mohan Kaul, CBC’s Director General said ‘We are delighted that Prime Minister Gillard is the new Chair in Office.  We have developed an excellent relationship with her government through the Commonwealth Business Forum 2011 and we look forward to working closely with the Prime Minister and her team over the next 2 years on the important issues that face the Commonwealth and the global economy’.

Dr Kaul also gave thanks to the outgoing Chair, Hon Kamla Persad‐Bissessar, Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago saying, ‘We are extremely grateful for the support from the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago during her time as Chair in Office. It has been a pleasure to collaborate with her government on a number of activities including the Commonwealth Economic Partnership Forum, the Caribbean Investment Forum and the Commonwealth Business Forum and we look forward to continuing the strong relationship with Trinidad and Tobago in the future’.

The role of Commonwealth Chair in Office was created at the 1999 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in South Africa. The Chairperson-in-Office plays a representational role in intergovernmental organisations, during period between Heads of Government Meetings. In 2002, the role was extended to include Good Offices of the Secretary-General and contribute to strategic advocacy of Commonwealth positions in high-level international forums. For more information please visit http://www.thecommonwealth.org