PRESS RELEASE BY THE MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AND EUROPEAN AFFAIRS Minister Fearne chairs Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group meeting and meets international partners in New York

Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Chris Fearne chaired a meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) in New York, in his capacity as Chair of the Group, ahead of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Ahead of the meeting, Minister Fearne also held a brief meeting with Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey.

The CMAG meeting, chaired by Minister Fearne, brought together ministers and representatives of Commonwealth member states. Discussions focused on the Group’s continued work to uphold the Commonwealth Charter and support member states on matters related to human rights and the strengthening of democratic processes.

On the margins of the meeting, Minister Fearne held a bilateral meeting with Robert Oliphant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, at the Permanent Mission of Malta to the United Nations in New York. The two sides reaffirmed the strong and longstanding relations between Malta and Canada and discussed opportunities to further strengthen them, including through trade, investment, and increased high-level political engagement. The discussion also took place against the backdrop of increasingly close ties between Canada and the European Union, which continue to create new opportunities for bilateral cooperation.

Minister Fearne also met with Mirjana Spoljaric, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The meeting focused on Malta’s commitment to humanitarian principles and international cooperation, with both sides discussing practical opportunities for collaboration, including in health and humanitarian assistance, and exchanging views on regional humanitarian concerns.

These engagements form part of Minister Fearne’s full programme of meetings during the United Nations High-Level Week and reflect Malta’s active engagement across multilateral, bilateral and humanitarian fora.