All Commonwealth member states must be treated on an equal basis, the newly elected Secretary General of the body said in his first acceptance speech on Saturday. "We are a family of equals, not just a family of nations," Mr Kamalesh Sharma told local and international journalists at the Commonwealth Village in Munyonyo, Kampala.

This was moments after heads of government unanimously picked him ahead of two other candidates - Maltese Foreign Minister Micheal Frendo and Dr Mohan Kaul, an independent. Mr Frendo had earlier withdrawn from the race to allow a consensus candidate.

Mr Sharma, 66, will take over the reigns of the 53-nation group from Don McKinnon who leaves office in March 2008. He said the variety of nations which the Commonwealth represents is a "unique force for good."
"The Commonwealth includes countries of every stage of development and has some of the largest states in the world and some of the smallest," he said.

Mr Sharma, who is currently the Indian High Commissioner to the UK, will take office on April 1 next year replacing Mr McKinnon, who has served two-four-year terms.

The new secretary general said he had long believed that development is a multi-pronged pursuit.
"Globalisation can't just be a story of emerging economies. Partial globalisation is failed globalisation," he said.

Mr Sharma said during his tenure, he would pay particular attention to women and young people. "Women are a litmus test for the way a society is moving. The future belongs to the youth. To mainstream the youth through education, knowledge and awareness is a huge global challenge," he said.

Asked about the current challenges facing the Commonwealth, including issues of human rights, Mr Sharma said: "I believe very strongly that the collective problems of the world require collective solutions. We should try for convergence on all areas of global concern."

Pakistan was suspended from the body at the Chogm in Kampala on Thursday over the President Pervez Musharraf's blatant violation of democratic ideals. The President declared a state of emergency three weeks ago and dismissed all independent thinking judges, replacing them with a 'cadre judiciary'. Members of the opposition have also been summarily locked up. Gen. Musharraf heads both the government and the military. The sticky question was about him relinquishing headship of the military which he is yet to do.

Mr Sharma described the problems facing the Commonwealth's 32 small states as "so pressing" and said their issues would be pursued with vigour, particularly trade, an area in which the Commonwealth is already actively engaged.

"As Secretary-General, I will always be guided by the importance of outcomes," he said.
Additional reporting from Commonwealth Website