De Marco elected to Commonwealth membership committee

President Emeritus Guido de Marco has been appointed to a committee of senior experts who will review the rules governing membership of the Commonwealth.

The Committee of Commonwealth Membership, chaired by former Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, met for the first time last week at Marlborough House in London. As well as Professor de Marco, its eight members include the leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Amos, a former foreign minister of India and a judge from Western Samoa.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon appointed the committee after a mandate was issued during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Malta last year.

The last time the Commonwealth drew up rules on membership was in 1997. However, Mr McKinnon said last week it was time to "look again" at the issue of membership and how the Commonwealth interacts with non-members since there was growing interest in the Commonwealth "from many countries".

When contacted, Professor de Marco said the committee was faced with an important task since it would be making recommendations on the conditions a potential member of the Commonwealth would have to observe in order to join.

The committee will present a report to Mr McKinnon in May. The secretary-general will then circulate it among the leaders so that a decision can be taken at the next CHOGM to be held in Uganda next year.

Last week the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group, chaired by Foreign Minister Michael Frendo, suspended Fiji from membership of the Commonwealth councils after a military coup - the fourth in 19 years.

CMAG called for the Commonwealth principles of good governance, democracy and the rule of law to be upheld in Fiji and insisted on the restoration of constitutional rule with immediate effect.

Professor de Marco said although the Committee of Commonwealth Membership was not tasked with taking any decisions regarding Fiji, the issue was mentioned.

"One can understand why. Because we are saying, for example, that in order to be a member of the Commonwealth you have to abide by the Harare Declaration. And obviously the military regime in Fiji does not comply with the declaration. We are dealing with who is eligible to join or remain; then, under what conditions."

The former head of the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit, Richard Bourne, has urged the committee to "define precisely what membership of the Commonwealth now implies" and make membership of the Commonwealth Foundation - the link between governments and civil society - compulsory.

Professor de Marco, who has been chairman of the Commonwealth Foundation since January 2005, has just been reappointed to the post for the next two years.