His Excellency Right Honourable Donald C. McKinnon, the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, will be the guest speaker at Aga Khan University (AKU) on Friday, February 17, 2006, where he will deliver a lecture titled ‘Shaping the Global Agenda: The Role of the Commonwealth’.
Rt. Hon. Don McKinnon has had a long and distinguished career in international politics and diplomacy. He became Commonwealth Secretary-General in 1999 after a 21-year career in New Zealand politics. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work leading to the signing of a peace agreement in Papua New Guinea in 1997. He has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from Lincoln University, the four Universities of Manchester and the Heriot-Watt University. As Commonwealth Secretary-General, Don McKinnon is credited with modernising the Commonwealth Secretariat's structure and enhancing the Commonwealth’s profile. His achievements also include building strategic partnerships with other international organisations, as well as synergies with civil society, in pursuit of the values and objectives of the Commonwealth. Mr. McKinnon has put young people at the heart of the Commonwealth's work and promoted youth programmes, particularly in relation to HIV/AIDS.
In his lecture at the AKU, Mr McKinnon proposes to explore how the Commonwealth, a global organisation of 53 member-states, straddling every continent, religion, ethnic group and level of economic development, helps to shape the agenda of the international community. The lecture will take place at 7:00 PM at AKU’s Stadium Road campus, and will also include a question-and-answer session.
Mr McKinnon’s lecture is being organised under AKU’s Special Lecture Series (SLS) programme, which is a part of its policy of encouraging broad-based education whereby eminent personalities are invited to illuminate the University’s constituencies on meaningful and engaging topics of public interest. Past speakers have included H.R.H. Prince Hasan of Jordan; Prof. Stanley Wolpert (author of ‘Jinnah of Pakistan’), Ambassador Dr Maleeha Lodhi and acclaimed artist Gulgee.
His Excellency Right Honourable Donald C. McKinnon, the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, will be the guest speaker at Aga Khan University (AKU) on Friday, February 17, 2006, where he will deliver a lecture titled ‘Shaping the Global Agenda: The Role of the Commonwealth’.
Rt. Hon. Don McKinnon has had a long and distinguished career in international politics and diplomacy. He became Commonwealth Secretary-General in 1999 after a 21-year career in New Zealand politics. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work leading to the signing of a peace agreement in Papua New Guinea in 1997. He has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from Lincoln University, the four Universities of Manchester and the Heriot-Watt University. As Commonwealth Secretary-General, Don McKinnon is credited with modernising the Commonwealth Secretariat's structure and enhancing the Commonwealth’s profile. His achievements also include building strategic partnerships with other international organisations, as well as synergies with civil society, in pursuit of the values and objectives of the Commonwealth. Mr. McKinnon has put young people at the heart of the Commonwealth's work and promoted youth programmes, particularly in relation to HIV/AIDS.
In his lecture at the AKU, Mr McKinnon proposes to explore how the Commonwealth, a global organisation of 53 member-states, straddling every continent, religion, ethnic group and level of economic development, helps to shape the agenda of the international community. The lecture will take place at 7:00 PM at AKU’s Stadium Road campus, and will also include a question-and-answer session.
Mr McKinnon’s lecture is being organised under AKU’s Special Lecture Series (SLS) programme, which is a part of its policy of encouraging broad-based education whereby eminent personalities are invited to illuminate the University’s constituencies on meaningful and engaging topics of public interest. Past speakers have included H.R.H. Prince Hasan of Jordan; Prof. Stanley Wolpert (author of ‘Jinnah of Pakistan’), Ambassador Dr Maleeha Lodhi and acclaimed artist Gulgee.