The Commonwealth’s plans to reform itself, including a greater emphasis on human rights, showed it remained relevant in the 21st century, Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma said yesterday.
Malta has been a member of the Commonwealth since 1964, the same year when it achieved its independence.
Malta hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting between November 25 and 28, 2005, in Valletta, after the Commonwealth secretary general confirmed that Commonwealth leaders accepted the offer from the Prime Minister of Malta.
Mr Sharma described the 54-nation grouping of mainly former British colonies as “a very contemporary organisation”, which was a force for good.
He said this week’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth would consider a series of important proposals, including establishing an independent commissioner to monitor human rights.
“I’m convinced this is going to be a landmark CHOGM in respect of what it puts in place on reform, renewal and resilience,” he said ahead of the three-day meeting, which Queen Elizabeth II will open tomorrow. He said the proposed human rights reforms would “lower the bar” on when the Commonwealth could raise concerns with member countries about rights issues, allowing it to address problems earlier.
Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said that currently all the Commonwealth could do was threaten to throw out or suspend countries where human rights abuses were occurring.
“There is potency to the argument that there is a danger to the Commonwealth simply being reactive, rather than proactive,” he said.
“That is, once a military coup occurs, the one blunt instrument available to the Commonwealth is one of suspension or expulsion.”
However, local reports said the centrepiece of the reforms was in danger of being rejected, with India and South Africa firmly opposed to the creation of a human rights commissioner.
While rights groups have accused CHOGM of vaccilating over alleged human rights abuses, Mr Sharma said “respect for fundamental human rights is one of the core values of the Commonwealth”.
Rejecting suggestions that the grouping was a decaying relic of the British Empire, he said it had a proven track record of positive achievements. He pointed to it being one of the first organisations to raise concerns about developing world debt and said seven of the top eight nations on international good governance indexes were from the Commonwealth.
Mr Rudd added that the Commonwealth played a major role in ending apartheid in South Africa and continued to help countries in the Caribbean and Pacific raise the alarm about climate change.
Factbox
• The Commonwealth is a coalition of 54 independent countries committed to promoting democracy, good governance, respect for human rights and equality, the rule of law and sustainable economic and social development.
• Based in London, it represents about two billion people.
• The organisation is a legacy of British colonial times, with most members having direct or indirect experience of rule under the British Empire. Most have English as an official language. However, its two most recent members, Mozambique and Rwanda have no historical link to Britain.
• Member states are: Antigua and Barbuda; Australia; The Bahamas; Bangladesh; Barbados; Belize; Botswana; Britain; Brunei; Cameroon; Canada; Cyprus; Dominica; Fiji; Gambia; Ghana; Grenada; Guyana; India; Jamaica; Kenya; Kiribati; Lesotho; Malawi; Malaysia; Maldives; Malta; Mauritius; Mozambique; Namibia; Nauru; New Zealand; Nigeria; Pakistan; Papua New Guinea; Rwanda; St Kitts and Nevis; St Lucia; St Vincent and the Grenadines; Samoa; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Singapore; Solomon Islands; South Africa; Sri Lanka; Swaziland; Tanzania; Tonga; Trinidad and Tobago; Tuvalu; Uganda; Vanuatu; and Zambia.
• Fiji, where the government was overthrown in a bloodless military coup in 2006, was suspended from the body in September 2009 after refusing to schedule elections by October 2010 and will not attend.
• Zimbabwe quit the organisation in 2003 when President Robert Mugabe denounced it as “evil,” and a front for Britain “to enslave” Zimbabwe.
• Queen Elizabeth II, 85, has been head of the Commonwealth since her accession to the throne in 1952, although the position is not enshrined in law. She is also head of state in 16 Commonwealth countries.
• Kamalesh Sharma, formerly India’s high commissioner to Britain, is the current Commonwealth secretary-general and has been in the job since April 1, 2008.