The Commonwealth

The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 53 independent sovereign states, comprised of a variety of faiths, races, languages and cultures. The Commonwealth's 2 billion people account for 30% of the world's population. Members have a common working language and similar systems of law, public administration and education.

The Commonwealth helps to advance democracy, human rights and sustainable economic and social development both within its member countries and beyond.

Current issues

On 20 July 2009, the Foreign Secretary launched the Commonwealth Conversation, a global debate on the future of the Commonwealth being led independently by the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS). As the Commonwealth turns 60 in 2009, this landmark year offers the perfect opportunity to reflect upon the past, stimulate new discussion and seek consensus on the future of the association.

Delivered and led by the independent RCS, the Conversation is an ambitious public consultation on the future of the 53-member association. Using online discussion forums, focus groups, opinion polling, and events around the world, the Commonwealth Conversation provides a platform for governments, civil society organisations and the public around the world to debate the future of the Commonwealth.

Declarations

The Commonwealth's structure is based largely on unwritten and traditional procedures and not on a formal charter or constitution, being guided by a series of agreements on its principles and aims. These are Declarations or Statements which have been issued by Commonwealth Heads of Government at various summits. Together, they constitute a foundation of Commonwealth values and a history of concern in global affairs. The most significant of these are the Singapore Declaration of Commonwealth Principles (1971) and the Harare Commonwealth Declaration (1991), which set out clearly the Commonwealth's commitment to democracy, the rule of law and good governance. The next Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting will be 27 – 29 November 2009 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The theme for the meeting is Partnering for a More Equitable and Sustainable Future.

Commonwealth Secretariat

The Commonwealth Secretariat is the principal organisation of the Commonwealth, which implements the decisions taken by the association’s 53 member governments. It was established by Heads of Government in 1965 and is located at Marlborough House in London. Its sister inter-governmental organisations are the Commonwealth Foundation (also based at Marlborough House) and the Commonwealth of Learning (in Vancouver, Canada). The Commonwealth Secretariat is headed by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma, (Indian) who took over on 1 April 2008.

The Secretary-General is elected by Heads of Government for a maximum of two four-year terms. The Secretary-General is supported by two Deputies. About three-quarters of the 53 member countries are currently represented among the some 252 staff of the Secretariat.

Activities

The Secretariat organises Commonwealth summits, meetings of ministers, consultative meetings and technical discussions. It assists policy development, facilitates multilateral communication among the member governments and provides policy advice and technical assistance. Its activities are supported by assessed budget and programme funds. All member governments contribute to this budget on an agreed scale based on their country's population and income.

Specialised funds support specific Commonwealth activities. The largest fund is the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation (CFTC), with a budget of £28 million in 2008/09. This fund was established in 1971 to promote technical co-operation among developing countries and funds training programmes, experts in the field and advisers to fill gaps in skills in areas such as industry, economics, law, export and marketing.

The Commonwealth promotes democracy and development through the following programmes :

• Good offices for peace: strengthening democratic processes and institutions.
  
  
• Democracy and consensus building: Commonwealth Election Observer Groups report on the credibility of the electoral process, whether conditions exist for a free expression of will by the electors and if the election results reflect the wishes of the people. The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), a group of nine Foreign Ministers, can take action against countries which are in serious or persistent violation of the democratic principles. The range of actions it can take include at its mildest, keeping a situation under review to suspension from the Councils, and in extreme cases, expulsion from the Commonwealth. The UK is currently a member of CMAG but will rotate off after the Commonwealth Heads of Government 2009 meeting.
  
  
• Rule of law: promoting the rule of law is seen as enhancing democracy, good governance and development across the membership.
  
  
• Human rights: aims to assist members in the adoption and implementation of international human rights.
  
  
• Public sector development: aims to promote and enhance good governance and development.
  
  
• Economic development: assisting developing countries to improve their understanding of international trade rules and regulations, and to help them strengthen their negotiations within the World Trade Organisation.
  
  
• Environmentally sustainable development: the Commonwealth brings together industrialised countries with significant greenhouse gas emissions, large emerging economies, notable energy production and some of the poorest and most vulnerable economies.
  
  
• Human development: the Commonwealth works towards the Millennium Development Goals and is particularly active in education, gender and health.
  

The 60th Anniversary of the Commonwealth

26 April 2009 marks the 60th anniversary of the London Declaration , which brought the modern Commonwealth into being. 

The origins of the Commonwealth stretch back much further than 60 years, but 1949 marks the pivotal point at which the Commonwealth's colonial legacy was transformed positively into a partnership based on equality, choice and consensus.

Prior to this, the Balfour Declaration of 1926 had established all member countries as 'equal in status to one another, in no way subordinate one to another', and this was in turn adopted into law with the 1931 Statute of Westminster. However, it was India’s desire to adopt a republican form of constitution while simultaneously retaining its link with the Commonwealth that prompted a radical reconsideration of the terms of association.

In April 1949, Heads of Government from Australia, Britain, Ceylon, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and the Canadian Secretary of State for External Affairs met in London to discuss the future of the Commonwealth. The outcome was the Declaration of London.

Their final communiqué was both innovative and bold in a number of ways. It stated that His Majesty King George VI would be recognised as 'the symbol' of the Commonwealth association, thus India could remove King George VI as head of their state but recognise him as Head of the Commonwealth. The Declaration also emphasised repeatedly the freedom and equality of its members, not just in their relationship to the Head of the Commonwealth as a 'free association of [..] independent nations', but also in their co-operative 'pursuit of peace, liberty and progress'. It was also at this juncture that the prefix 'British' was dropped from the title. When King George VI died, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II assumed the role of Head of the Commonwealth.

After the end of World War II the Commonwealth became the natural association of choice for many of the new nations emerging out of decolonisation. Starting with Ghana in 1957, the Commonwealth expanded rapidly with new members from Africa, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and the Pacific.

The Commonwealth is now a unique association of 53 independent states consulting and co-operating in the common interests of their peoples and in the promotion of international understanding. It comprises a diverse range of countries from all continents of the world (apart from Antarctica). In the 60 years since the Declaration, the relevance and value of the relationship has been reaffirmed and consolidated repeatedly.

Commonwealth Members

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