The Commonwealth, a 56-nation group of mostly former British colonies, faces growing questions about its relevance amid global challenges like climate change and inequality. Calls for reparations for Britain’s colonial past and greater action on modern issues are testing its unity and influence. At COP 29 in Baku, Secretary-General Patricia Scotland proposed bold solutions. But with colonial legacies and shifting global power dynamics, can the organisation rise to the moment? Patricia Scotland, secretary-general of the Commonwealth, talks to Al Jazeera.