Head of the Commonwealth, Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II joined the chorus of voices at the official opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2009 calling for consensus on the issue of climate change.

Her Majesty told the leaders that on the eve of the UN Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change “…the Commonwealth has an opportunity to lead once more.” The French President, Nicholas Sarkozy and Denmark’s President Lars Rasmussen, non-Commonwealth members, will join the leaders and delegations from the 53-member association in hopes of forming a common position on the matter.

The Queen said while the environmental threat is not a new one, it’s now a global challenge which will affect security and stability in the years ahead. She pointed to the fact that most of the countries under threat are the most vulnerable and are least able to withstand the adverse effects of climate change.

Globally, small island developing states have the highest ratio of economic losses from disasters and other climate impacts. The United Nations and the European Union have called for a fund of at least $10 billion annually in the next three years to help these countries deal with the effects of climate change.

But Her Majesty also dealt with the issue of youth and youth development in the Commonwealth. She said the organization must gave its support to young people who remain unconvinced that the Commonwealth can help them realize their goals.

And as the world grapples with the issue of small developing states, she also lent her voice to this saying “For small island states, the buffeting of the economic storms of the last twelve months has provided a stern test; and great resourcefulness has been shown in order to meet the challenge.  As an organization the Commonwealth must remain dedicated to building resilience among its smaller members.”

Her Majesty expressed the hope that the next few days of meetings, including the pre-Chogm events, will chart the way for the 60 year old institution. CHOGM 2009 started today, November 27th and ends on November 29th.