It was held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, between 27 and 29 November 2009, and was hosted by that country's Prime Minister, Patrick Manning.

The summit was dominated by the issue of global warming,[5] as it was held just before the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The meeting was also attended by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen.

This would tarnish the reputation of the Commonwealth and confirm the opinion of many people and civic organisations that the leaders of its governments do not really care for democracy and human rights, and that its periodic, solemn declarations are merely hot air.

Several other countries were expected to submit official applications to join, including Algeria, Madagascar, Sudan, and Yemen,[7] but they were not considered.