President Dr Julius Maada Bio, Her Excellency Fatima Maada Bio and delegation depart today for a state visit to the State of Qatar, then proceed for CHOGM 2022 and later join the ‘Transforming Education Pre‐Summit’ at UNESCO headquarters.

During his four-day state visit, the President will meet key private sector players and also hold discussions with His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

It could be recalled that the President’s relationship with the peninsular Arab country started four years ago when he initiated the Sierra Leone-Qatar Business Council during a meeting with a high-powered delegation from the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Doha.

His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio will depart Doha on Wednesday 22 June for Kigali, Rwanda, for the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, also known as CHOGM 2022, the 26th meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations holding from 20-25 June 2022.

The President will then proceed to Paris, France to take part in the Transforming Education Pre-Summit being organised at the UNESCO Headquarters, on 28‐30 June 2022.

Sierra Leone is Co-Chair of the High-Level Steering Committee of UNESCO and Co-Chair Transforming Education Summit. The High‐level segment consisting of ministerial and stakeholder engagement will take place from 29‐30 June 2022.

The overall objective of the Pre‐Summit is to harness the evolving discussions on transforming education, elaborate initial content and establish a shared vision and suggested actions for the Summit, and generate greater momentum.

His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio, Her Excellency Fatima Maada Bio, Foreign Minister Prof. David J. Francis and other members of his delegation will return to Freetown on 30 June 2022.