We find ourselves here confronted by a singularly happy set of coincidences. We are to start on Commonwealth Day the Ministerial working sessions of our Seventh Commonwealth Education Conference, thus celebrating the past existence of our association at the same time as we rededicate ourselves to the service of the young people who will shape its future. And we do these things in Ghana, whose choice on attaining independence of free association in the Commonwealth opened the way for our present membership of twelve African nations, and Mauritius and Seychelles too.