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11am - 12pm – Official Commonwealth Youth Forum Opening Ceremony

����̽�� Youth Forum will officially begin with Welcome Remarks, entertainment, and opening remarks from a Guest of Honour.

12pm - 1pm – Plenary One: Taking Charge of Our Future

This panel will discuss the role of youth leadership in affecting needed change, and the roles of other actors.

2pm - 3.45pm – Youth Action Lab One

The Action Lab events throughout the day are breakout sessions on the six CHOGM themes:

• Governance and the Rule of Law: Youth Involvement in Decision-Making
• Youth and Human Capital: Inclusive, Equitable and Accessible Opportunities
• Trade, Entrepreneurship and Employment
• Information and Communication Technology and Innovation
• Sustainability: Environment, Climate Change and Blue Economies
• Health and COVID-19

4pm - 5pm – Plenary Two: Reimagining Sustainability

This session will include a keynote address and a line-up of experts, change makers and influencers which will explore and redefine sustainability under the current social, political, and economic context.

5.15pm - 5.45pm – Launch of Youth Led Initiatives: ����̽�� Youth for Sustainable Urbanisation and Sustainable and Clean Energy Action Group

5.45pm - 6pm – Closing Debrief and Reflections

6pm – Cultural Dinner Reception

9am - 10.30am: Commonwealth Women's Forum Opening Session

����̽�� Women’s Forum will officially begin with a plenary reflecting on gender equality, Welcome Remarks, a young speaker highlighting opportunities in the Commonwealth, and Opening Remarks from a Guest of Honour.

11am - 12.30pm: Women in Leadership: Beyond Numbers

What is meaningful leadership, and what does it look like? In considering this question, pioneers who have advanced gender equality across the Commonwealth are invited to show not only that they have achieved high levels of women’s representation in decision making, but that this increased representation has led to real and lasting change for the betterment of society.

1.30pm - 3pm: Women’s Economic Empowerment: Breaking Barriers

This session considers the challenges affecting women’s economic empowerment, and opportunities for their full and equal participation in economic life. It examines the hurdles women face in trade and entrepreneurship and will devise key entry points that might to clear the way for greater and sustainable economic empowerment.

3.30pm - 5.30pm: Parallel sessions

• Engaging Men and Boys: Ending Violence Against Women and Girls

The session looks at programmes dedicated to engaging men and boys as agents of positive change and examines the critical role data plays in understanding violence against women and girls (VAWG) and its wider impacts. It will provide a platform to present the Secretariat’s project on the Economic Cost of VAWG (EconVAWG) which utilises a new framework that determines the economic cost of VAWG for various sectors in the economy and the state.

• Intergenerational Celebration

This session will highlight the recognition and celebration of the contributions and diversity of women and girls of all ages, including older women. The session will explore the multiple and intersecting forms of inequalities and discrimination that can be exacerbated in later life and how best to overcome these challenges. Speakers from across the Commonwealth with a background in aged care and civil society organisations will discuss the responsibility for recognising the role that women of all ages can play in community development.

9am - 10.15am – Plenary Three: Youth Championing Innovation for Transformation and Development

This session will include a keynote address, sharing of stories of impact, and a panel of experts, change-makers and influencers who will explore Innovation, technology and how the youth can leverage their knowledge to accelerate impact.

10.15am - 10.45am – Launch of Youth Led Initiatives: Commonwealth Youth Taskforce for HPV awareness and I AM Campaign for Cervical Cancer Elimination

10.45am - 12.30pm – Youth Action Lab Two

• Governance and the Rule of Law: Youth Involvement in Decision-Making
• Youth and Human Capital: Inclusive, Equitable and Accessible Opportunities
• Trade, Entrepreneurship and Employment
• Information and Communication Technology and Innovation
• Sustainability: Environment, Climate Change and Blue Economies
• Health and COVID-19

1.30pm - 2.45pm – Plenary Four: Co-creation and Strategic Partnership

This session will include a keynote address, sharing of stories of impact, and a panel of experts, change makers and influencers who will provide tips and insights to identifying and forming strategic partnerships required to take projects and ideas forward.

2.45pm - 4pm – Youth Action Lab Three

• Governance and the Rule of Law: Youth Involvement in Decision-Making
• Youth and Human Capital: Inclusive, Equitable and Accessible Opportunities
• Trade, Entrepreneurship and Employment
• Information and Communication Technology and Innovation
• Sustainability: Environment, Climate Change and Blue Economies
• Health and COVID-19

 4pm - 5pm – Plenary Five: The Economic Imperative: Skills Development for 21^st Century Jobs

This session will include a keynote address, sharing of stories of impact, and a panel of experts, change makers and influencers who will discuss in-demand skills, jobs and predicting needs of the future to future-proof young people and future generations.

5.15pm - 6pm – Fire side chat

An interaction between youth experts of inspirational experiences.

6pm-9pm – City Immersion into Kigali

9am - 11am: Gender and Climate Change: Interactions and Opportunities for Progress 

This session will be a platform to highlight the role and contribution of women in ensuring successful climate change resilience. It is necessary to include and promote women as vital change-makers and ensure their seat at the policy and decision-making table. With several Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other vulnerable territories - including cities, home to large informal communities - in the Commonwealth already feeling the harsh effects of climate change and other disaster risks, all sectors of society must be united in protecting the diverse communities of the Commonwealth family.

11.30am - 1.30pm: Parallel sessions – Addressing the barriers to gender equality and Women Empowerment

• Accountability for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment

This session examines the progress that Commonwealth member countries have made in establishing domestic accountability mechanisms pertaining to gender equality and women empowerment. It will consider how governments have participated in existing international accountability mechanisms such as the Universal Periodic Review, highlight innovative Commonwealth best practice in promoting government accountability including with respect to the need to address gender-disaggregated data gaps, and providing concrete recommendations for the development of accountability mechanisms for gender equality.

• Human Capital Development: Building Girls Leaders of Tomorrow

By exploring the global challenge brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, this session will highlight how digital technologies continue to impact human capital development. Speakers from diverse sectors will discuss the positive and negative lessons learnt across the Commonwealth from the impact of COVID-19 on the ability of women to work, progress in their careers, access education, use coping mechanisms, and address the skills necessary for women to be well positioned in an increasingly digital economy.

2.30pm - 4pm: Parallel sessions

• Peace in the Commonwealth: Women’s Engagement in Peace and Security

This session will be a platform to explore the question of what can be done to enable more meaningful women’s participation in peace and security and how the aspirations of UNSCR 1325 can be more fully realised across the Commonwealth and the world, with an emphasis on transformative conditions that can enable women’s meaningful participation. With speakers drawn from the sectors of peace mediation, military and security institutions and peace programming, this session will provide a forum to explore what practical measures can be taken to enable greater and more meaningful participation of women in peace and security.

• Conquering Cervical Cancer in the Commonwealth: Realities, Challenges and Opportunities  

Speakers from both medical and civil society backgrounds will discuss the importance of prioritising cervical cancer elimination and the challenges the Commonwealth faces with cervical cancer. ����̽�� accounts for approximately 40% of global cervical cancer incidence and 43% of cervical cancer mortality. The outcome of this discussion will form part of important pre-CHOGM policy recommendations and will build up on the Heads of Government commitments in addressing the rising burden of non-communicable diseases.  Media contact

4.30pm - 5.30pm: Outcomes of Commonwealth Women’s Forum and Closing Remarks

9am - 12.30pm – Commonwealth Youth Council General Assembly and Capacity Building Sessions

1.30pm - 2.30pm – Closing Ceremony, Commonwealth Youth Council Installation and Action Plan Presentation

2.30pm - 5pm – Commonwealth StartUp Festival! A Celebration of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

The Startup Festival is a celebration of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the amazing contributions of Commonwealth Youth to addressing some of the world's greatest challenges brought to life through a collaboration of various ecosystem partners.

7.30am - 9.30 –  Blue Charter Action Groups Tackling Ocean and Climate Change

• Lemigo Hotel, Kigali

The Climate crisis is also an ocean crisis. Action Groups under the Commonwealth’s flagship ocean programme, the Blue Charter, are responding to climate change under their respective themes. This event will showcase a sampling of Action Groups’ efforts to date and will encourage discussion on future ocean-climate strategies and initiatives.

Contact e-mail: Commonwealth Blue Charter team.  Media contact

9am - 10.30am and 11am - 12.30pm – Access to Justice and Technology, and the Inaugural Commonwealth Legal Debate 

• Mkombozi Hall, 

����̽�� Lawyers Association, with the support of the Secretariat’s Office of Civil and Criminal Justice Reform, is hosting a panel discussion on the use of technology as a means of improving access to justice, how to build an enabling environment for people-centred justice, and ethical considerations around law and technology. The session will also showcase some innovative technology solutions that vastly improve access to justice.

The Inaugural Commonwealth Legal Debate will be held immediately after the Access to Justice and Technology Innovation event. During this parliamentary-style debate, four student teams discuss a challenging debate question framed in the context of a changing and rapidly modernising legal world, while exploring the framework provided by Commonwealth values and principles. 

Due to meeting room capacity, attendance confirmation will be done on a first come, first served basis. RSVP by e-mailing Francisca Pretorius, ����̽��. 

9am – 5.45pm followed by a cocktail reception – Day 1 of Side Event Programme Focused on the Call to Action on Sustainable Urbanisation Across the Commonwealth

• , Kigali

The two-day side event will directly contribute to the overarching CHOGM theme of ‘Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming’ and will complement the work being undertaken in other forums. It will focus on approaches to ensure citizens are at the heart of making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.   

 Member states, both large and small, are already facing the impacts of climate change and rapid urbanisation, while the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded these impacts, resulting in one of the worst global health and economic shocks of recent times.   

 Responding to these challenges, Commonwealth partners including the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the Commonwealth Association of Architects, the Commonwealth Association of Planners and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum, in collaboration with the Government of Rwanda and The Prince’s Foundation, have come together to issue a Call to Action on Sustainable Urbanisation across the Commonwealth, to advance sustainable urbanisation in the Commonwealth through the Commonwealth Sustainable Cities Initiative.   

Invitations: Day 1 is Technical level and Day 2 is ministerial level. For day 2, wider members of the delegation and High Commission are also invited to attend. RSVP by e-mailing Victoria Hobday, Commonwealth Sustainable Cities Initiative. 

Rwanda - Commonwealth Fashion Week - Collective Rwanda 

• Various venues in Kigali

Rwanda - Commonwealth Fashion week will showcase local and Commonwealth fashion, accessories and interior designers. A list of of activities will be organised throughout the week including a panel on sustainable fashion in the Commonwealth at the , a fashion night out, the launch of a common marketplace and digital exhibition, shop tours and visits to artisans. Rwandan and Commonwealth designers will have the opportunity to learn from each other, co-create, network and build synergies for future collaboration.

Invitations: All delegates are invited to attend, and an RSVP is not required. Contact e-mail: Natasha Haguma, Collective Rwanda.

11am - 1pm – Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group Meeting

3.30pm - 5.30pm – Commonwealth Ministers Meeting on Small States

8.30am - 10.30am – CHOGM Breakfast Meeting - Climate Change and the Commonwealth: Accelerating Action 

This event will showcase the steps that climate-vulnerable member states are taking in response to climate change, land degradation and biodiversity loss, and brief CHOGM members and related stakeholders on key priorities. This includes joint action among the three Rio Conventions for enhanced climate action through the Living Lands Charter - A Commonwealth Call to Action on Living Lands (CALL) - and highlighting the progress and steps being undertaken through Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) for enhancing climate action, especially access to global climate finance for member countries. 

Heads of Government, Foreign Ministers, Environment Ministers, Senior Environment Officials, Climate Change Focal Points and Executive Secretaries of the three UN Rio Conventions and partner organisations are invited to attend. Open to media. Contact e-mail: Unnikrishnan Nair or the Climate team, ����̽��.  Media contact

8.30am - 10am – Countering Violent Extremism

•  Kigali

The ����̽�� Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Unit will convene Commonwealth policymakers and senior officials with responsibility for national security policy, counterterrorism, or peace and security policy to discuss challenges, and share best practices on approaches to managing terrorism and preventive steps to address the underlying conditions that drive individuals to radicalise and join violent extremist groups. The event includes a special update from the Commonwealth Cadre of CVE Experts, a network of advisers that was welcomed by CHOGM in 2018. 

RSVP by e-mailing Anna Sherburn, ����̽��.  Media contact

4pm - 5.30pm – Day 2 of Side Event Programme Focused on the Call to Action on Sustainable Urbanisation Across the Commonwealth

• , Kigali

The two-day side event will directly contribute to the overarching CHOGM theme of ‘Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming’ and will complement the work being undertaken in other forums. It will focus on approaches to ensure citizens are at the heart of making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.   

 Member states, both large and small, are already facing the impacts of climate change and rapid urbanisation, while the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded these impacts, resulting in one of the worst global health and economic shocks of recent times.   

 Responding to these challenges, Commonwealth partners including the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the Commonwealth Association of Architects, the Commonwealth Association of Planners and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum, in collaboration with the Government of Rwanda and The Prince’s Foundation, have come together to issue a Call to Action on Sustainable Urbanisation across the Commonwealth, to advance sustainable urbanisation in the Commonwealth through the Commonwealth Sustainable Cities Initiative.   

Invitations: Day 1 is Technical level and Day 2 is ministerial level. For day 2, wider members of the delegation and High Commission are also invited to attend. RSVP by e-mailing Victoria Hobday, Commonwealth Sustainable Cities Initiative. 

5.30pm - 7pm – UN-Commonwealth Advocacy Strategy Reception

This high-level side-event in the form of an informal reception will provide a platform for strategy champions as well as ministers to interact informally about the advocacy strategy. 

����̽�� Secretary-General, co-joined with the acting UN Under Secretary-General and High Representative of the Office, UN-OHRLLS, will provide opening remarks.  

Foreign Ministers are invited to attend. Contact e-mail: Motselisi Matsela, ����̽��.

7.30pm - 9pm – Rethinking Mental Health: A Commonwealth Call to EMPOWER, Care and Transform 

This event in partnership with the Government of Rwanda, the British Asian Trust, and Shuchona Foundation and Bangladesh with the support of the ����̽��, echoes the Commonwealth’s principle of promoting access to affordable health care and removing wide disparities and unequal living standards. 

Ministers of Foreign Affairs, international organisations, Senior Officials, Members of the delegation and High Commissioners are invited to attend. Please RSVP by e-mailing: Mahfuza Sultana, Government of Bangladesh and Janneth Mghamba, ����̽��.  Media contact

Rwanda - Commonwealth Fashion Week - Collective Rwanda 

• Various venues in Kigali

Rwanda - Commonwealth Fashion week will showcase local and Commonwealth fashion, accessories and interior designers. A list of of activities will be organised throughout the week including a panel on sustainable fashion in the Commonwealth at the , a fashion night out, the launch of a common marketplace and digital exhibition, shop tours and visits to artisans. Rwandan and Commonwealth designers will have the opportunity to learn from each other, co-create, network and build synergies for future collaboration.

Invitations: All delegates are invited to attend, and an RSVP is not required. Contact e-mail: Natasha Haguma, Collective Rwanda.

8am - 9am – Sports Breakfast     Media contact

8am - 9am – First Lady’s event on Unity and Reconciliation

10am - 5.45pm – Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting    Media contact

8am - 9am – Antimicrobial Resistance Event 

• , Kigali

High-level event convened by Global Leaders Group on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), chaired by Her Excellency Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley of Barbados and moderated by Deputy Prime Minister Christopher Fearne of Malta in a panel discussion of leaders on political actions needed to address the global AMR crisis. 

The Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance is comprised of world leaders and experts from across sectors working together to accelerate political action on AMR based on the One Health approach. Its mission is to collaborate globally with governments, agencies, civil society and the private sector to advise on and advocate for political action for the mitigation of drug-resistant infections through responsible and sustainable access to and use of antimicrobials. 

Action on AMR is essential now as part the global health, development, climate, and the pandemic response agenda and under the priorities set out for the 2022 CHOGM theme, delivering a common future: connecting, innovating, transforming. 

Ministers of Health and Heads of Governments are invited to attend. Contact e-mails: Karen Vincenti, Government of Malta, Mahfuza Sultana, Government of Bangladesh  and Janneth Mghamba, ����̽��.  Media contact  

9am - 5.30pm – Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases Summit  

•  Kigali

The summit, hosted by the Government of the Republic of Rwanda, will reaffirm commitment to end malaria and neglected tropical diseases. In doing so, it will recognise the critical importance of investing in the fight against these diseases, developing more resilient health systems, improving the response to future pandemics and supporting healthier populations. 

In recent years, the Commonwealth has committed to act against these preventable and treatable diseases. In 2018 leaders committed to ‘halve malaria across the Commonwealth by 2023’, eliminate ‘blinding trachoma by 2020’, and to combat ‘other mosquito-borne diseases.’ The 2022 summit will enable the Commonwealth to review the progress made since the 2018 commitment.  

Heads of Government and Ministers, Members of the delegation and High Commissions are invited to attend and can . An RSVP is not required. Contact e-mail: Layne Robinson, and Janneth Mghamba, ����̽��.  Media contact  

9.30am - 11.30am – Keeping 1.5 Alive: The Glasgow Climate Pact and Building Momentum towards COP27, Co-hosted by the Governments of Rwanda and the United Kingdom

To support discussions during the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and bring momentum to agreed climate commitments, a high-level side event on climate change will be held. It will take stock of COP26 outcomes, especially progress on the Glasgow Climate Pact, discuss innovative ways to access climate finance, including an introduction to the Kigali Principles on Carbon Finance, and aims to generate momentum for COP27 which will take place in Egypt in November 2022. 

The side event will be co-hosted by the Government of Rwanda and the Government of the United Kingdom, together with the COP26 Presidency. The event will bring together a range of leaders from across the Commonwealth, United Nations organisations, civil society, private sector, young people and women to discuss progress on the Glasgow Climate Pact, accessing climate finance, the desired outcomes of COP27 in Egypt and how Commonwealth Member States can work together to achieve them. 

Contact e-mail: Juliet Kabera and Faustin Muyazikwiye, Rwanda Environment Management Authority, and Alain Michel, Government of Rwanda.

1pm - 2.30pm – High-Level Side Event on Violence Against Women and Girls

Globally, one in three women and one in six women have experienced a form of sexual violence in their lifetime. Moreover, domestic violence escalated and intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, with high incidence calls to domestic violence helplines increased up to 500% across Commonwealth countries. As a response, ����̽�� partnered with the NO MORE Foundation to create and build effective and collaborative pathways to address violence and is convening this event on eliminating Violence Against Women and Girls and the Commonwealth Says NO MORE campaign on the margins of CHOGM.

This high-level meeting will be held at the Kigali Conference Centre and distinguished speakers from the UN and across the Commonwealth will be presenting. The novel guidelines on the Whole System Approach in addressing violence against women and girls, as part of the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 5, will be launched at the event, with opening remarks by a VVIP. 

Heads of Government and ministers, National Women's Machineries and other change-makers, civil society, business, NGOs, donors, press and celebrities are invited to attend. Due to meeting room capacity, attendance confirmation will be done on a first come, first served basis. Due to meeting room capacity, attendance confirmation will be done on a first come, first served basis. Please submit your RSVP by e-mailing: Karen Williams and Natasha Muhoza, ����̽��. 

Rwanda - Commonwealth Fashion Week - Collective Rwanda 

• Various venues in Kigali

Rwanda - Commonwealth Fashion week will showcase local and Commonwealth fashion, accessories and interior designers. A list of of activities will be organised throughout the week including a panel on sustainable fashion in the Commonwealth at the , a fashion night out, the launch of a common marketplace and digital exhibition, shop tours and visits to artisans. Rwandan and Commonwealth designers will have the opportunity to learn from each other, co-create, network and build synergies for future collaboration.

Invitations: All delegates are invited to attend, and an RSVP is not required. Contact e-mail: Natasha Haguma, Collective Rwanda.

9am - 11am – CHOGM Opening Ceremony

2.30pm - 5.45pm – Executive Sessions

Rwanda - Commonwealth Fashion Week - Collective Rwanda 

• Various venues in Kigali

Rwanda - Commonwealth Fashion week will showcase local and Commonwealth fashion, accessories and interior designers. A list of of activities will be organised throughout the week including a panel on sustainable fashion in the Commonwealth at the , a fashion night out, the launch of a common marketplace and digital exhibition, shop tours and visits to artisans. Rwandan and Commonwealth designers will have the opportunity to learn from each other, co-create, network and build synergies for future collaboration.

Invitations: All delegates are invited to attend, and an RSVP is not required. Contact e-mail: Natasha Haguma, Collective Rwanda.

8am - 8.45am – The Intergeneration Dialogue

A chance for young people to share their declaration and action plan on youth development with Heads of Government followed by a press briefing.

10am - 1pm – Foreign Ministers’ Roundtables with Civil Society and Associated Organisations

10am - 4pm – Retreat for Commonwealth Heads of Government

4.30pm - 5.45pm – Closing Executive Session

6pm - 6.30pm – Concluding Press Conference

6.15pm - 7.30pm – Meeting of the Reconstituted Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group

2.45pm - 4.45pm – High-level Roundtable: ����̽�� Blue Charter, and the Commonwealth Sustainable Energy Transition Agenda: Taking action to deliver our common future 

Both the Commonwealth Blue Charter and the Commonwealth Sustainable Energy Transition (CSET) emerged from CHOGM 2018 as a collective response to the 2018 CHOGM theme, Towards a Common Future. Globally unique, the Blue Charter and CSET are implemented through country-led ‘Action Groups’ to translate CHOGM words into actions – delivering our common future through connecting, innovating and transforming.  

At this open side event, high-level panelists (minsters or their designates) will discuss the Action Group model so far, the importance of partnerships, progress, lessons learned along the way, and reflect on what more needs to be done to accelerate ambition into action. The side event will feature the announcement of the new Commonwealth Blue Charter Project Incubator, and the launch of CSET Action Groups on Energy Literacy and Geothermal Energy. 

Articulating a comprehensive and cooperative approach to ocean health, marine climate change, and sustainable ‘blue’ economic development, the Blue Charter provides a platform for all Commonwealth countries to tackle shared ocean issues. It is implemented through 10 Action Groups led by 16 Champion countries, with 47 governments having joined one or more of these.  

The CSET agenda provides a platform for collaborative action between member countries towards achieving SDG 7 on access to affordable and clean energy and SDG 13 on climate action; and is anchored on three key pillars identified by members at the inaugural Commonwealth Sustainable Energy Forum in 2019 - Inclusive Transitions; Technology and Innovations; and Enabling Frameworks. 

All welcome to attend. Participation at the roundtable, however, is restricted to Foreign Ministers and senior officials engaged in either the Blue Charter or CSET. All with CHOGM accreditation can . Please RSVP regarding ministerial participation by e-mailing Jeff Ardron, and Alache Fisho, ����̽��. Media contact

Rwanda - Commonwealth Fashion Week - Collective Rwanda 

• Various venues in Kigali

Rwanda - Commonwealth Fashion week will showcase local and Commonwealth fashion, accessories and interior designers. A list of of activities will be organised throughout the week including a panel on sustainable fashion in the Commonwealth at the , a fashion night out, the launch of a common marketplace and digital exhibition, shop tours and visits to artisans. Rwandan and Commonwealth designers will have the opportunity to learn from each other, co-create, network and build synergies for future collaboration.

Invitations: All delegates are invited to attend, and an RSVP is not required. Contact e-mail: Natasha Haguma, Collective Rwanda.