It became a member again in The Commonwealth makes up a quarter of the world's land mass. The giant of the group is Canada, the world's second largest country. India and Australia are huge too. The modern Commonwealth was formed in , after "British" was dropped from the name and allegiance to the Crown was removed from its statute. But it's not a hereditary role, although the Prince of Wales is widely expected to take it up when he becomes king.
The Commonwealth had no constitution until it adopted its Charter in , which committed members to 16 values of democracy, gender equality, sustainable development and international peace and security. The Commonwealth has been criticised for being a post-colonial club and for having little influence.
The Gambia announced its withdrawal in describing it as a "neo-colonial institution". Supporters say the benefits which membership brings include developmental support and co-operation on international goals. Secretary-general Lady Scotland, said: "Our member countries have committed to nurture and protect democracy, development and respect for diversity.
There are a large number of organisations and networks under the umbrella of the Commonwealth that carry out and support this work. In the Commonwealth adopted a charter setting out the values of the organisation and the commitments members are expected to make. Central to the charter are the beliefs in democracy, human rights and the rule of law. The Commonwealth Secretariat in London manages the work of the Commonwealth and is the central point for all member governments.
The Secretariat can provide governments with policy advice and practical assistance. It also works to find solutions to sensitive political and economic issues faced by members.
She took up this role in April New Zealand hosted the meeting in The Commonwealth Foundation is a development organisation of the Commonwealth that aims to build the capacity of civil society across member states.
What is the Commonwealth exactly? The Commonwealth is a voluntary coalition of 54 states representing a global population of 2. Most members have an historic relationship with the British Empire.
The relationship is acknowledged every four years with the Commonwealth Games, and every two years with meetings of political leaders.
Although Australia, Britain and Canada have the most economic and political clout, the Commonwealth differs from the UN in that each member state is considered equal.
How did that come to be? Canada actually joined the British Commonwealth as an independent state in , but the modern organization as it exists today came to be in with the London Declaration. Several years after India voted to become an independent republic, the Commonwealth was expanded to allow for sovereign nations not directly under the control of the British monarchy.
Most Commonwealth states maintain some formal or informal tie to Britain, however the Commonwealth has also expanded to include independent countries such as Rwanda and Mozambique, which do not have historic ties to the British Empire. In March, Queen Elizabeth II signed the Commonwealth Charter, which acknowledged 16 core values of Commonwealth countries, including democracy, human rights, freedom of expression and freedom from discrimination. How can the Commonwealth be a coalition of nations with similar values if it includes Sri Lanka and other member states with poor records of human rights abuses?
The charter is more of an aspirational document. The Commonwealth is really a diplomatic coalition. Mayall said. It had been suggested that Brexit would deepen economic ties with Commonwealth members in Africa. But a recent trade summit between the UK and African countries produced very little. This, plus the pandemic, has taken the shine off some earlier predictions of a boom in UK-African trade. Meanwhile, the secretariat itself and its development arm have seen their budgets slashed in recent years.
Donors have withdrawn or withheld funding in some very public displays of no-confidence in the leadership of the current secretary-general, Patricia Scotland. Finally, its record in enforcing adherence to shared Commonwealth values, particularly in the field of human rights and democracy, is far from impressive.
In , the organisation adopted a charter full of laudable aspirations about justice, democracy and human rights. As such, membership signals to the broader international community that countries share those aspirations. Yet the Commonwealth took no action when in January , long-serving Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni clung to power after a deeply-flawed electoral process.
Paul Kagame of Rwanda seems to be hoping for a similar boost to his reputation when he hosts the heads of government meeting in June. This is despite repeated signs that he is intolerant of opposition. The organisation consists of a variety of networks developed over decades. These include a range of organisations such as the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the Association of Commonwealth Universities. Get your free PDF by completing the following form.
They have often challenged the policies of their own governments.
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