The Commonwealth

definition

• It is a voluntary association of 54 countries that support each other and work together towards shared goals in democracy and development

• Its roots go back to 1870s• There are ties of history, language, institution

that unite the members

• 1. General good, public welfare, or commonweal – shared richness, something to be possessed by all

• 2. Body politic, the body of people constituting a state or a nation

• 3. A republic, a state with supreme power vested in the people

• 4. A body of persons united for some common purpose

• 5. The title of some specific states

• Commonwealth in the modern usage incorporates aspects of most of the above dictionary definitions, but is best rendered by “family of nations from within the former British Empire”

• 1868 Lord Carnarvon referred to it as “The Imperial Commonwealth”

• 1884 Lord Rosebery called the empire “Commonwealth of Nations”

• By the 20th century the words colony, empire and imperial were all dropped.

• 1867 Canada became the first colony to be transformed into a self-governing “Dominion” – it implied equality with Britain

• Other parts of the empire became Dominions”• Australia 1901• New Zealand 1907• South Africa 1910• The Irish Free State 1922

• After the end of the First World War, the Dominions began seeking a new constitutional definition and reshaping their relationship with Britain

• 1926 the Imperial Conference – the prime ministers adopted the Balfour Report which defined the Dominions as autonomous communities within the British Empire, equal in status, in no way subordinate to one another in any aspect of their domestic or internal affaires

• The definition was incorporated into the British law in 1931as the Statute of Westminster

Modern Commonwealth

• After the Second World War – India gained independence – 1947

• The new state of Pakistan was created• A wave of decolonisation followed• 1949 London Declaration – a milestone on the

road to developing the modern Commonwealth

• There are certain values that unite its members: democracy, freedom, peace, the rule of law and opportunity for all

• The values were agreed and set down by all Commonwealth Heads of Government in Singapore in 1971

• They were reaffirmed 20 years later in Harare

• The values are protected by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group which assesses the nature of any infringement and recommends measures for collective action from member countries.

• It has the authority to suspend or even recommend to Heads of Government that a member country be expelled

• There are “good offices” that make discreet interventions as part of efforts to prevent or resolve conflicts and build dialogue and democratic structures.

• Ministers responsible for education, environment, civil society, finance, foreign affairs health law meet regularly

Intergovernmental Organisations

• The Commonwealth Secretariat - which executes plans agreed by Commonwealth Heads of Government

• The Commonwealth Foundation – which helps civil society organisations promote democracy, development and cultural understanding

• The Commonwealth of Learning – which encourages open learning and distance education

• An important actor in global governance• As an association of former British colonies

that spans one third of the world’s population and over a quarter of the UN’s member states – it is both a relic of an older imperial form of global governance as well as a forward looking institution dedicated to dealing with issues of contemporary concern that locates it within a multi-actor version of global governance

• Currently Commonwealth has little to do with the imperial heritage from which it emerged

• At a time when Cold War raged and states were encouraged to side with one or other of the superpowers the institution of Commonwealth endorsed the principle of freedom of alignment

• It has consistently sought to press for fairer terms of trade, correctiveness to global inequalities in income and wealth, the rule of law, freedom of expression, participatory forms of democracy

• The Commonwealth prides itself on being one of the very few international organisations that actually sanctions its members for violating the core democratic and human rights principles upon which it is founded – suspension of Zimbabwe in 2002 for irregularities and violence during the presidential elections, Nigeria in 1995, Pakistan in 1999, Fiji in 2001

• The Commonwealth is far more than an intergovernmental institution

• It is a family of non-governmental bodies, each working to promote cooperation, peace and understanding among citizens residing in the member states.

• This family comprises more than 80 associations, ranging from the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative to the Commonwealth Association of Museums

• The modern Commonwealth grew out of the former British Empire – it is the outcome of the decline of British imperialism

• The origins of the Commonwealth association date back to the Durham Report of 1840 which initiated the gradual growth of self-government in the British colonies of settlement

• The twenty years following the end of the Second World War saw the rapid dissolution of the British Empire

• Independence was first granted to India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon

• From 1957 a succession of colonial territories in Africa, Southeast Asia, the West Indies and the Pacific gained their independence

• Almost all of Britain’s former colonial possessions elected, on gaining independence, to join the Commonwealth

• 1965 the British Commonwealth ceased to be British

• 1965 the Commonwealth Secretariat was established and took over from the UK government the administrative organisation of Commonwealth affairs

• The Secretariat based at Marlborough House in London, is responsible for servicing Commonwealth conferences, meetings and workshops at all levels

• The Secretariat adopted a heightened political profile in its involvement in the anti-apartheid campaign and the advocacy of effective sanctions against South Africa – a policy which the British government opposed

• 1992 the Commonwealth comprised 50 member states, all sharing historic links and traditions with Britain

• The Queen is recognized as Head of the Commonwealth even though most of the member states are now republics

• 46 members can be classed as developing countries

• 27 have a population of less than one million

• The essence of intra-Commonwealth affairs is consultation and cooperation at both governmental and unofficial levels

• English common law is the most valuable asset bequeathed by Britain to the Commonwealth

• The parliamentary system was no so successful as there are military governments and one-party states

• The Commonwealth 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 the 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 affaires

• 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

• Every two years, the heads of government of Commonwealth member states convene at a meeting commonly referred to as CHOGM. (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting)

• Whilst the CHOGM is conducted in a more informal setting than other international summits, major strategic issues affecting the Commonwealth are discussed. CHOGM 2009 was dominated by discussions on climate change. Many Commonwealth states are small, low lying islands, particularly vulnerable to the rising sea levels associated with climate change

• Commonwealth countries work together to improve the quality of life of their citizens and to build a better world. Members help each other to make their economies stronger, to operate accountable and democratic systems of government and to improve the skills of their people. They agree among themselves on issues of wider international concern – be they on fair trade, debt relief or combating terrorism – and seek recognition for their concerns to be taken into account in global and other discussions.

• The Commonwealth runs a whole range of programmes of direct benefit to its members. These programmes include assistance with election monitoring, and the training of judges and public servants; help with education, whether through scholarships, distance learning schemes or teacher training; assistance in alleviating environmental degradation and in implementing environmentally sustainable solutions; and help in combating disease and in training medical personnel

• Commonwealth Heads of Government meet to discuss how best to work together and meetings at ministerial and official level are also held regularly. Every country, large or small, rich or poor, has an equal voice and decisions are taken by consensus: that is, with the agreement of all

• The moral authority of the Commonwealth is strong and its members work together to encourage the maintenance of common standards. The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) was established in 1995 to deal with serious or persistent violations of the Harare Declaration which sets out the Commonwealth’s fundamental political values

• Composed of the Foreign Ministers of eight Commonwealth member countries, plus one or two additional ministerial representatives from the region concerned, CMAG assesses the nature of an infringement and recommends measures for collective Commonwealth action aimed at the speedy restoration of democracy and constitutional rule. This is just one of the ways in which the Commonwealth works to uphold democracy and human rights.

• The Joint Office for Commonwealth Permanent Missions to the UN, based in New York, is another excellent example of Commonwealth cooperation. The office, funded by a number of Commonwealth members, exists to enable small state members to maintain a permanent presence at the UN. It acts as a base for envoys of eleven Commonwealth countries to operate in representing their respective states. The eleven small states that currently have Permanent Representatives working from the New York Office are Dominica, The Gambia, Grenada, Maldives, Nauru, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, the Seychelles, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu

• Upon her accession in 1952 and on the initiative of India, all nations of the Commonwealth accepted Queen Elizabeth II as the second Head of the Commonwealth. The position of Head implies no executive or constitutional power: it is a symbolic role. Queen Elizabeth II’s heir will not automatically become Head of the Commonwealth. When the time comes, Commonwealth Heads of Government will make a decision about this role

• The Queen addresses and opens the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and holds audiences with Commonwealth leaders. Amongst her Commonwealth tours, she visits the host country during each summit, holds a Banquet for Heads and hosts other social events. She delivers a Christmas broadcast to the Commonwealth and sends a Commonwealth Day message which is widely publicised on Commonwealth Day (the second Monday in March). She is usually present at Commonwealth Day events, including the multi-faith observance held at Westminster Abbey and the Commonwealth Secretary-General’s reception held at Marlborough House in the evening

COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING (CHOGM)

• The main decision-making forum of the Commonwealth is the biennial CHOGM. Here, the Commonwealth Heads of Government assemble for several days to discuss matters of mutual interest. A key element of the Summit is the retreat where Heads meet entirely on their own. The last but one CHOGM was held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, in November 2009. The last CHOGM took place in Australia in 2011

THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY-GENERAL

• Elected by Commonwealth Heads of Government for now no more than two four-year terms, the Secretary-General is the principal face and voice of the Commonwealth and his relationship with Commonwealth Heads is crucial in sustaining Commonwealth co-operation. Assisted by two Deputy Secretaries-General, he is also the Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Secretariat. The current Secretary-General is Indian-born, Kamalesh Sharma, who took office in April 2008, succeeding Don McKinnon of New Zealand (2000-2008).

COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION• Commonwealth countries share many links outside government

with over one hundred Commonwealth-wide non-governmental organisations, most notably in the areas of education, culture and sport. The Commonwealth Foundation is an intergovernmental organisation resourced by and reporting to Commonwealth governments and guided by Commonwealth values and priorities. Like the Secretariat, the Foundation is based at Marlborough House in London. Its mandate is to strengthen civil society in the achievement of Commonwealth priorities: democracy and good governance, respect for human rights and gender equality, poverty eradication and sustainable, people-centred development, and the promotion of arts and culture.

COMMOWEALTH OF LEARNING

• COL is an intergovernmental organisation created by Commonwealth Heads of Government to encourage the development and sharing of open learning/distance education knowledge, resources and technologies. Based in Vancouver, COL is helping developing nations improve access to quality education and training

PARTITION OF THE MIDDLE EAST

THE COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS TODAY