Commonwealth Summit in Trinidad and Tobago
THE heads of government of 53-member states of the Commonwealth will meet in Port of Spain, capital of Trinidad and Tobago, from November 27 to 29.
Bangladesh joined the Commonwealth in 1973 and since then has always participated actively in all the Summits. Bangladesh has pursued vigorously the interests of the Least-Developed Countries and emphasised the need for the donors to meet the specified target of development aid to the LDCs. It also highlighted the reduction of poverty and hunger in the poorer Commonwealth nations.
Climate change appears to be high on the agenda at the Summit. The leaders are expected to discuss how much financial assistance would be provided to poorer countries at the Copenhagen UN Conference for adaptation and mitigation of adverse effects of change of climate.
Another subject is likely to be re-starting of the stalled dialogue for the global trade agreement under the Doha Round (it started in Doha in 2001 under the WTO).
Furthermore, one day will be devoted to informal discussions among leaders known as "retreat." It is a one-to-one meeting and leaders may raise any issue. Often, informal talks between leaders in the past had led to resolution of many prickly bilateral or regional issues.
Commonwealth member-states with diverse social, political, and economic backgrounds co-operate within a framework of common values and goals.
The goals include the promotion of democracy, human rights, good governance, the rule of law, individual liberty, social justice, fair trade, multilateralism, regional and global peace.
Its mandate is to strengthen civil society and gender equality, and the priorities include poverty reduction, sustainable people-centred development, and promotion of arts and culture.
The Commonwealth is a unique organisation. Its membership includes countries of all continents. Almost one-third of the world's population lives in the Commonwealth countries. Countries of all races and religions are its members, including the richest and the poorest.
Within the Commonwealth, there are the Commonwealth Foundation, Commonwealth Games, Commonwealth Business Council and Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation. They all are based on cooperation characterised by commonwealth values.
Two Commonwealth Declarations are important -- one is the Harare Declaration of 1991 on democracy and the other is the Edinburgh Declaration of 1997 regarding trade and economic cooperation. The Harare Declaration affirmed that the Commonwealth countries must abide by democratic pluralism and free media.
Whenever any country strays from these ideals, it is either suspended or expelled. Zimbabwe pre-empted its expulsion by withdrawing from it in 2003 because of its undemocratic practices. Pakistan was twice suspended (1999 and 2007) for its military rule.
The conference meets every two years in capitals of member-states. Normally, the heads of states/governments meet to discuss global and regional issues affecting them. Bilateral issues are also discussed on the sidelines.
In recent years, the Commonwealth has carved out a role in reducing political tension within member-states and dispatches special envoys to iron out differences among political leaders. The Commonwealth also monitors parliamentary elections within the member-countries to ensure that elections are free, fair and credible. A statement from the monitors of the Commonwealth often determines the legitimacy of the outcome of elections.
Critics say that the Commonwealth has nothing in common nor has wealth. It is a relic of the British Empire. It can bark but not bite. It is a toothless tiger.
Another fact is that the facilities of nationals of the Commonwealth have gradually diminished in Britain, a member of the European Union. A national of Spain will enjoy much more facilities and privileges (such as visa-free entry and right to work) than a national of a Commonwealth member in Britain enjoys.
The world is much more complicated than before and the pattern of alliance has changed. Many Commonwealth members look increasingly to regional or distant partners, not necessarily a Commonwealth member-state, to form their most important alliances.
The Commonwealth needs modernisation and incorporation of innovative ideas to be more dynamic. A committee may be constituted by the leaders of the Commonwealth to review the goals of the organisation and suggest recommendations for revitalising the institution in the light of the needs of the 21st century.
Many suggest that a program of Commonwealth peace volunteers be introduced, offering services to Commonwealth countries. The interaction between young people will enrich the vigour and strength of the organisation.
The organisation needs adequate resources, and many well-wishers suggest that the Commonwealth leaders may seriously consider asking for donations from philanthropists such as Bill Gates or Ted Turner. (Ted Turner donated money for the UN)
Despite its difficulties, the Commonwealth could be a valued organisation if its member states make it so. It is an organisation with "a heart of gold but limbs of clay" as some journalist put it years ago.
The Commonwealth is a valued piece of political architecture because of its diversity and its ideals. Let me end by quoting Prince Charles, the future head of the Commonwealth, who said: "The Commonwealth is a wonderful resource that embodies a particular kind of decency and humanity."
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