The Government is once again inviting entries from students who are attending school in Gibraltar, or further studies in the United Kingdom, for an essay competition on Gibraltar’s relationship with the Commonwealth. 

There are 56 countries and 2.7 billion people in the Commonwealth, and His Majesty King Charles III is the Head of the organisation. Gibraltar’s association with the Commonwealth is through the membership of the United Kingdom, although in some of its bodies Gibraltar, and other Overseas Territories, participate in their own right. 

This year Commonwealth Day is on Monday 9 March. 

The essay entries will be divided into four categories so that younger children do not compete against older ones. The first category will be for Lower Primary, the second for Upper Primary, the third category for pupils of comprehensive and college age, and the fourth one for students from Gibraltar aged 18 or over in full time education in the United Kingdom. 

The prize for the winning entry in each category will be £150. 

Those who want to take part should write a short 500 word essay on the theme of “What can Gibraltar learn from the Commonwealth and what can the Commonwealth learn from Gibraltar?” and submit this by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Submissions should contain the name, address, contact number, email address, age and the name of the educational institution as well as year of study. 

The closing date for entries is 12 noon on Friday 27 February 2026. 

The Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia, who is the Minister with responsibility for relations with the Commonwealth, said: “The policy of the Government is to raise awareness of the values of the Commonwealth among the younger generation. Over 60% of the population of the Commonwealth are young people under the age of 30. In this context, the Government will continue to encourage the participation of delegates from Gibraltar in the Commonwealth Youth Parliament and the Commonwealth Youth Forum, and we will explore other avenues for such engagement. This essay competition is part of that overall strategy.”