2002 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
The 2002 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting was the 17th Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in Coolum, Queensland, Australia, between 2 and 5 March 2002, and hosted by the Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard.
| 17th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Australia |
| Dates | 2–5 March 2002 |
| Cities | Coolum Beach, Queensland, Australia |
| Participants | 51 (of 54 members) |
| Heads of State or Government | 35 |
| Chair | John Howard (Prime Minister) |
| Follows | 1999 |
| Precedes | 2003 |
| Key points | |
Commonwealth's future Terrorism Zimbabwe | |
Planned to have been hosted in Brisbane on 6 October 2001, the CHOGM was postponed only nine days before it was due to be held, on account of the 11 September terrorist attacks on the United States. When the meeting was finally held, three issues loomed large on the agenda: security, the future of the Commonwealth, and (most prominently) Zimbabwe's upcoming presidential election.
The meeting was attended by representatives of 51 countries out of the Commonwealth's 54 members (suspended member Pakistan was not invited, whilst Antigua and Barbuda and Grenada sent no representatives). Of those, 35 were represented by their head of state or head of government.