The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of independent states, all but two of which - Mozambique and Cameroon - were once governed by the British.

In 1926 the UK and all the countries concerned agreed that they are "equal in status, in no way subordinate one to another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs, though united by common allegiance to the Crown, and freely associated as members of the British Commonwealth of Nations."

The modern Commonwealth

The modern Commonwealth started in 1947 when India gained its independence and the country of Pakistan was created. With its commitment to racial equality and national sovereignty, joining the Commonwealth became a natural choice for many new nations that were emerging out of the decolonisation process of the 1950s and 1960s.

It now has a combined population of 1.8 billion people - nearly a third of the world's people. It has 53 members, all independent and sovereign countries,
some of the richest and poorest in the world.

Its main aims are to promote democracy and human rights, as well as economic development.

The UK is one of its biggest financial contributors. In 2006-2007 it gave £29 million to a variety of programmes including scholarships, youth projects and technical assistance.

Among the organisations we support are the Commonwealth Foundation
and Joint Office for Small States  in New York.

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM)

CHOGMs take place every two years in a different country, bringing together one-third of the world’s leaders.

Following CHOGM 2007 the UK is keen to see the Commonwealth do more on climate change, human rights and counter-radicalisation.

Commonwealth Day

Commonwealth Day – which is celebrated annually by all member countries - was on 10 March 2008. The theme this year  is "The Environment: Our Future".

It is part of Commonwealth Week which includes lectures, awards, and various events.

Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games takes place every four years. New Delhi will host the next Games in 2010, and Glasgow in 2014.

You can find more background information about the Commonwealth at the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Royal Commonwealth Society and Young Commonwealth.