The Commonwealth

The Commonwealth

1. What is it?

   • Voluntary association of 54 independent member states (mostly former British colonies); officially called "The Commonwealth of Nations"
   • Covers 30% of the world's population
   • covers 25% of the world's land area (spans all continents)
   • Organized by the Commonwealth Secretariat (in London)
   • Since 1952: Queen Elizabeth II is the symbolic Head of Commonwealth
     • Queen = monarch of 16 Commonwealth member states
   • Member states: no legal obligation to one another
   • Member states are united by language, history, culture, heritage
     • Share common values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law
       • enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter
       • promoted by the Commonwealth Games (every 4 years)

2. History

   • Beginning of the decolonization of the British Empire (end of 19th century) marks the birth of the Commonwealth
   • Anglo-Irish Treaty (1929): "British Empire" finally substituted by "British Commonwealth of Nations"
   • 1931: the British guranteed dominion status for their "white colonies" >> "Statute of Westminster"
     • Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland"
   • Dominion status states became self-governing states
     • still united by common allegiance to the crown
   • After World War II: only 14 British overseas territories left under governance of the British Crown

3. Strucure

   • Queen Elizabeth II = Head of Commonwealth
     • Nowadays only symbolic function
   • Commonwealth Heads of Government meet every two years
   • Commonwealth Secretariat: main intergovernmental agency of the Commonwealth with its seat in London

4. Objectives and Activities

   • Commonwealth objectives: first outlined in the Singapore Declaration (1971)
   • understands itself as an institution of world peace
   • promotion of representative democracy, individual liberty, pursuit of equality
   • opposition of racism
   • fight against poverty, disease and ignorance
   • free trade (although there's no common market
   • human rights
   • education
   • youth empowerment
   • social development of weaker countries
   • economic development aid
   • cultural values, traditions...