The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 independent and equal countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Americas, Europe, and the Pacific. Eleven Pacific Island nations are Commonwealth members.

Leaders of Commonwealth countries meet every two years for the COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING (CHOGM), hosted by different member countries on a rotating basis. Since 1971, 25 meetings have been held, the most recent in Rwanda in 2022, just prior to Samoa hosting the meeting last week, 21-26 October 2024.

Commonwealth leaders meet at CHOGM to shape Commonwealth policies and priorities on shared goals like development, democracy and peace, trade and economy, climate change, and environment. 

CHOGM SIDE EVENTS

OUM was invited by National University of Samoa (NUS) to set up a booth at the Pacific & Commonwealth Universities Info Expo & Networking Side Event of CHOGM, which NUS hosted in partnership with The Association of Commonwealth Universities. Students, faculty, and staff worked at the booth, meeting with attendees and discussing our MD Program throughout the two-day event. First row of photos, from left are: #1 Dr. George Tuitama, OUM Dean for Samoa, American Samoa, Aotearoa New Zealand, and the Asia Pacific, OUM Staff Veronika Wong and Maretta Reti Ah Fook, and students Cecilia Amosa and Torren Lameko. #2 Cecilia and Torren welcoming a booth visitor. #3 Cecilia, student Frank Wong, Veronika, and Torren.

CHOGM YOUTH FORUM

The main topic of the CHOGM2024 Youth Forum was “Youth Mental Health,” presented and facilitated by Dr. George Tuitama, OUM’s Dean for Samoa, American Samoa, Aotearoa New Zealand, and the Asia Pacific. Dr. Tuitama is also Acting Head of the Mental Health Unit at TTM Hospital and Head of Mental Health Clinical Services for the Samoan National Health System. Attending the Youth Forum with the Dean was student Torren Lameko. (The second row of photos is from the Youth Forum — the third row is from Day 2 of the NUS Side Event and the CHOGM Opening Event.)