1979 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

The 1979 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting was the fifth Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. 39 countries attended the meeting. It was held in Lusaka, Zambia, between 1 – 7 August 1979, and was hosted by Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda.

Issues discussed at the conference included the situation in Rhodesia, armed conflicts in Indochina, the global growth of the refugee problem, and the situation in Cyprus and Southern Africa. Sir Shridath Ramphal was reappointed as Commonwealth Secretary-General during the meeting. The Lusaka Declaration of the Commonwealth on Racism and Racial Prejudice was issued at the end of the conference, including a special declaration condemning apartheid.

Participants The following nations were represented: NationNamePositionKenneth Kaunda (Chairman)PresidentMalcolm FraserPrime MinisterLynden PindlingPrime MinisterZiaur RahmanPresidentTom AdamsPrime MinisterSir Seretse KhamaPresidentJoe ClarkPrime MinisterSpyros KyprianouPresidentMichael DouglasMinister of FinanceSir Kamisese MaraPrime MinisterSir Dawda JawaraPresidentMensah GbedemahArmed Forces Revolutionary CouncilMaurice BishopPrime MinisterRashleigh JacksonMinister of Foreign AffairsShyam Nandan MishraForeign MinisterMichael ManleyPrime MinisterDaniel arap MoiPresidentIeremai TabaiPresidentC D MolapoMinister of Foreign AffairsHastings BandaPresidentTengku Ahmad IsmailMinister of Foreign AffairsMinister of EducationSir Seewoosagur RamgoolamPrime MinisterRobert MuldoonPrime MinisterH E AdefopeCommissioner for External AffairsMichael SomarePrime MinisterGeorge OdlumDeputy Prime MinisterFrance-Albert RenéPresidentSiaka StevensPresidentLee Kuan YewPrime MinisterPeter KeniloreaPrime MinisterRanasinghe PremadasaPrime MinisterRichard DlaminiMinister without PortfolioJulius NyererePresidentFatafehi TuʻipelehakePrime MinisterEustace SeignoretHigh Commissioner to the United KingdomGodfrey BinaisaPresident of National Executive Committee Margaret Thatcher Prime MinisterVaovasamanaia FilipoMinister of Finance

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