COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS

The Commonwealth consists of 53 sovereign states and dominions that are united by voluntary sharing of the institution of monarchy, and by the values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. It stands on common principles – the sovereignty of the Crown coupled with individual autonomy, full and equal membership, and the right to freely join and leave the organization. 

The crown- The Queen is the symbol of free association between the members, whether they have monarchical systems or not - she is the Head of the commonwealth. The office has no powers or activities attached to it; nor does the Queen have any ministers to advise her. There is no question of sovereignty in this symbolic existence, except in countries like the UK, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and some other island nations, where she is the supreme head of state. For the heads of other governments, she is simply a living symbol with whom they have no direct political relationship. 

Individual autonomy- Republic nations have recognized the King(Queen) as the head of the Commonwealth. Although the Queen has no privileges and duties, this recognition of a status isn’t in any way undermining the national identity of the member countries. A former Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. Robert Menzies said ‘it was a cynical error to suppose that when the first republican entered the Commonwealth door, the old sentiment flew out of the window’. 

Full and equal membership- From a rich white club of six members, the Commonwealth had grown, by the end of the 1960s, to 31 members. The most significant political landmark for the Commonwealth is the Indian decision to remain a member when it became a republic. So great was the emphasis upon the unity of the monarchy that it was debated whether a republic could continue to be a commonwealth member. India’s addition disposed off any doubts about the compatibility of nationalism and dignity with Commonwealth membership. The then Commonwealth had welcomed her with open arms. Had India not decided so, it is doubtful if any significant addition would have been made to the Commonwealth membership among other Asian, African and Caribbean countries. By the accession of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka during 1947-48, the Commonwealth became, in the words of a former Prime Minister of Pakistan, ‘a multi-racial, a multi-cultural and a multi lingual Commonwealth.’ 

Free entry- The Commonwealth’s two most recent additions, Mozambique and Rwanda, have no historical ties to the British Empire; and there are more nations on the waiting list to join. 

Some countries have been suspended or expelled for being authoritarian and undemocratic, while some others have chosen to withdraw membership, such as Gambia, whose President Yahya Jammeh described it as a “neo-colonial institution”.

I have to be fair and mention that the Commonwealth has worked extensively in helping to bring an end to the injustice of apartheid in South Africa and aiding Sierra Leone to return to stability. It has brokered agreements between troubled neighbours in Africa, helped calm tensions during contested elections in fragile democracies, and advised small states in international negotiations and at the UN. An advantage of the organization is that it provides a chance for the smaller states to voice their opinions on the international stage. The less formal setting of the Commonwealth enables them to discuss issues that the UN might not consider significant. 

Sambhavi Ganesh