An official program to commemorate the 2023 Commonwealth Day will be held on Monday March 13th, 2023 at Parliament House with a flag-raising ceremony.
Acting Governor General and Speaker of Parliament, Job Pomat, will deliver His Royal Highness King Charles III’s first Commonwealth Day Message.
Formerly known as Empire Day, this annual celebration of the Commonwealth of Nations, since 1977 is often held on the second Monday in March to honour England, the unity between nations of the Commonwealth, and its ideals of freedom, tolerance and justice.
Papua New Guinea will join 55 other nations in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Americas, the Pacific and Europe to celebrate this Commonwealth Year of Youth with the theme “‘Forging a Sustainable and Peaceful Common Future”.
This year’s theme signifies the active commitment by member nations to collaborate on climate change action, support the development of free and democratic societies, and promote of peace and prosperity to improve the lives of all Commonwealth citizens.
The focus is on efforts to build a better future for the 1.5 billion Commonwealth citizens under the age of 30.
Morgan Gwangilo, Parliamentary Service’s Director for Education and Civic Division, said 100 students from Wardstrip Primary School, dressed in the respective national attires of the Commonwealth nations will be taking part in the event.
“They will raise Commonwealth flags,” he said. “High Commissioners from Commonwealth nations who are present in the country have also been invited to make speeches.”