Libmonster ID: UK-1307
Author(s) of the publication: A. Y. TOLSTUKHINA

Author: A. Y. TOLSTUKHINA

A. Y. TOLSTUKHINA

Candidate of the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Commonwealth of Nations Keywords:Commonwealth Summit 2011, Perth Declaration

The Commonwealth of Nations (until 1947 the British Commonwealth of Nations), formed in 1946, is defined by the 1971 Singapore Declaration of Principles as "a voluntary association of independent sovereign States that consult and cooperate for the common interests of their peoples and for the promotion of international understanding and world peace".1. This intergovernmental organization includes the United Kingdom and almost all of its former dominions, colonies and protectorates:

54 countries with a population of about 2 billion. human. It operates through a powerful network of various structures, governmental and non-governmental organizations.

The members of the Commonwealth have a lot in common: the similarity of a number of characteristics of political, legal and educational systems, the use of English as an intermediary.

Throughout its history, the Commonwealth has sought to improve its form and structure, expand its range of interests and tasks, and adapt to the ever-changing international environment.

IT WAS SMOOTH ON PAPER...

During the Cold War, the Commonwealth sought to establish a dialogue between the countries of the North and the South.2 The agenda included issues of decolonization, assistance to developing countries, and international trade. The emphasis was placed on inter-State relations, and the internal policies of the member states and their model of state structure did not arouse much interest. However, since 1964, the official documents of the Commonwealth began to feature problems of race relations-the situation in Southern Rhodesia was actively discussed, and apartheid in South Africa was condemned.

After the collapse of the USSR, the Commonwealth, freed from the shackles of ideological confrontation between the two camps, expanded the scope of its activities and interests. At this historical stage, the association set itself more ambitious goals. The main priority was the dissemination of liberal democratic values in underdeveloped countries.

With the adoption of the Harare Declaration of 1991, which proclaimed such basic universal values and principles as democracy, human rights, equality, the rule of law, and good governance, the organization's member States agreed to increase the role of the Commonwealth and increase its impact on the internal affairs of States. 3

There are also a number of new issues put on the agenda - environmental protection, gender equality, the fight against drug trafficking, etc.

From the 1991 Harare Summit to the 2009 meeting of Heads of Government in Trinidad and Tobago, a considerable number of programmes have been developed to promote democratic governance.-

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research institutes in developing countries of the Commonwealth. These measures included election observation missions, technical assistance in the conduct of voting, the development of the parliamentary system, and the establishment of a Ministerial Action Group in 1995 to protect the democratic principles and values of the association.

It seems that the Commonwealth is quite effective in coping with the modest tasks of promoting, setting standards and creating norms.

However, the task of unification-by persuasion to achieve the spread and establishment of democracy in the less developed member countries in the name of fruitful cooperation and peace-has, as might be expected, proved extremely difficult and difficult to achieve. The Commonwealth does not have the right to conduct peacekeeping and peace enforcement operations, as well as impose economic and other sanctions. The only way to influence a country that violates the basic principles of the organization is to suspend its membership or completely exclude it.

Never lacking in declarative statements, the Commonwealth has shifted the responsibility for human rights and oversight to national Governments. It has done very little to protect democratic values. The Association tends to justify the actions of undemocratic regimes, especially when regional, economic, and other interests seem more important.

In the CIS countries, fundamental values are often ignored and human rights are systematically violated. Fiji has maintained a military dictatorship since 2006 (its membership in the Commonwealth was suspended in 2009). Bangladesh has become synonymous with poor governance. In Nigeria, more than 300 people were killed in ethnic and sectarian violence in 2011, and hundreds were left homeless.4 Swaziland still has an absolute monarchy and banned political parties. The list goes on.

According to the International Commission of Jurists and Human Rights Watch, in Sri Lanka, where the next meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government will take place in 2013, despite the end of the government's war against the extremist separatist group "Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam" in 2009*, citizens are still detained for up to 18 months without detention. charges 5.

Even in developed democracies with established democratic traditions, things are not going well. According to the report of the Russian Foreign Ministry "On the human rights situation in a number of countries around the world", the use of illegal and unacceptable methods of interrogation of prisoners of war and ill-treatment of prisoners is noted in the UK6. Canada is accused of discriminating against the rights of indigenous people, as well as violating the rights of refugees and immigrants.

The Times of India in January 2008 made the following diagnosis of the organization:: "Despite the Commonwealth's attempts to re-establish itself after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the truth is that internal contradictions in the Commonwealth have made its activities ambiguous at best, and difficult at worst. In fact, throughout its history, the Commonwealth not only suspends the membership of violators, but also constantly restores their rights. " 7

HOPES ARE JUSTIFIED

At the meeting of the Heads of Government in Trinidad and Tobago in 2009, it was decided to develop reforms to bring the numerous institutions of the Commonwealth in order to improve the interaction and cooperation of member countries. Specifically for this purpose, the Eminent Persons Group was created, which for two years studied the problems and gaps in the organization's activities, solved the problem of strengthening the influence of the Commonwealth and strengthening its role.

High hopes were pinned on the Commonwealth Summit held in Perth, Australia, in October 2011. The goal of the participants was to "prepare the Commonwealth for global challenges by reforming its internal structure and increasing its activity" 8.

But Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, a former Malaysian Prime Minister who chairs a Group of prominent figures, warned that the Perth meeting could be a failure. He said: "There is no doubt that this meeting of heads of government is expected to bring about real radical reforms in the Commonwealth. But if the recommendations for reforming the organization are not adopted, the summit will be described not as a triumph, but as a failure. " 9

Having done a great deal of work, the Group presented a comprehensive report at the Perth Summit in 2011 entitled "Community of People: A Time for Urgent Reform", with numerous recommendations for transforming the organization.10 The report openly stated that the values that were laid down in the foundation of the Commonwealth are declining, and in order to preserve the Association of independent States, it is necessary to act immediately. Barely concealing its criticism of the Secretariat and its bureaucracy, the Group called for an end to the criminal carelessness and inertia that constitute the most serious threat to the organization's relevance and viability.11

At the Perth summit, 30 recommendations of the group were approved and 12 were accepted for consideration.

It was decided to develop the Charter of the Commonwealth in order to implement the principles contained in the previous declarations and collected documents.-


* For more information, see: Listopadov N. A. Rout of terrorists in Sri Lanka / / Asia and Africa Today, 2009, No. 11 (editor's note).

page 65

all of them are contained in a single document that will not have any legal force. The text is expected to be approved in 2012 after consultations in each Commonwealth country and other procedures have been completed. The Charter will contribute to the recognition of the international legal personality of this organization by the world community.

The adoption of the Perth Declaration on Principles of Food Security, which aims to provide comprehensive assistance to address the food problems of vulnerable countries (mainly poor countries in Africa), is also important.

They also approved the reform of the Ministerial Action Group and strengthening its role in supporting democracy in the member states. The Group will be more proactive in responding to a number of serious and regular violations of the Commonwealth's core values. It was also unanimously decided to promote the interests of the Commonwealth and achieve practical results at all the upcoming major international meetings (the Group of 20, the summit of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), and the ministerial conferences of the World Trade Organization).12.

However, 11 recommendations from the Eminent Persons Panel were rejected and 43 were shelved. Among them were such key constructive proposals as an enhanced election monitoring program, the establishment of an independent Commissioner, the reform of the Secretariat structure, and many others.

In addition, at the initiative of South Africa, India and Namibia, it was decided not to publish the report, as the heads of these states were skeptical about the proposal to establish a new post - the post of independent Commissioner for the rule of law, democracy and human rights. It would be responsible for monitoring violations in the member States of the Commonwealth, and it would have the right to demand that the necessary measures be taken if they were discovered. India's First Deputy Foreign Minister, Ranjan Mathai, said that his country was opposed to the establishment of such a position, which would essentially duplicate the work already being done by the UN, and diplomatically noted that such a recommendation required further consideration and research. 13

For his part, Malcolm Rifkind, a member of the Group of Prominent individuals from the UK, a former Foreign Minister of the country, described as" disgraceful " the refusal of the leaders to publish the report. He told a press conference in Perth: "The Commonwealth is facing a very serious challenge. It is not associated with hostility or antagonism, but with indifference. " 14

It is worth adding that only 36 of the 54 member states of the Commonwealth participated in the 15 summit.

If we summarize the summit's work, it is obvious that no fundamental changes are expected in the future work of the Commonwealth. Selective adoption of some general recommendations will not enhance its role and impact. All the proposals of the report of a Group of Prominent Individuals need to be implemented in a comprehensive, rather than selective manner, as they are logically interrelated. For example, the Heads of Government unanimously approved the recommendation to revitalize the Secretary-General, but reserved for further consideration the item that he should prepare a work plan for the future development of the Secretariat. 16

* * *

Thus, the Commonwealth failed to convince the majority of its members of the need to strengthen measures to protect democratic principles, since the main value of this informal organization for many countries lies not in the fight against certain violations, but in mutually beneficial cooperation in the economic, technological, cultural and other spheres. The Association of Independent States, having assumed the responsibility to establish democracy throughout its territory, using "soft power", clearly overestimated its capabilities and took on an unbearable burden.


1 Singapore Declaration of Commonwealth Principles, 1971 - http://www.thecommonwealth.org/shared_asp_files/GFSR.asp?NodeID=141097

Mayall J. 2 The Contemporary Commonwealth An assessment 1965 - 2009. New York, 2010, p. 4.

3 Harare Commonwealth Declaration 1991 - http://www.thecommonwealth.org/shared_asp_files/GFSR.asp?NodeID=141095

4 Human Rights Watch. World Report 2012: Nigeria - http://www.hrw.org/world-report-2012/world-report-2012-nigeria

5 Sri Lanka: 'Bait and Switch' on Emergency Law // Human Rights Watch, 7.09.2011 - http://www.hrw.org/news/2011/09/07/sri-lanka-bait-and-switch-emergency-law

6 Website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Report of the Russian Foreign Ministry "On the human rights situation in a number of countries around the world" - http://www.mid.ru/bdomp/brp_4.nsf/9f9f2a6497b5822f43256a2900463456/2b4694cd44b6411e4 4257974003e49c4/$FILE/%D0%94%D0%BE%D0%BA%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B4. pdf

Mayall J. 7 Op. cit., p. 77.

8 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2011. GNOGM, 2011. Pert, Australia. Building National Resilience Building Global Resilience - http://www.chogm2011.org/sites/default/files/documents/CHOGM2011_Concept_Paper.pdf

Watt N. 9 Commonwealth Leaders under Fire for Refusing to Publish Human Rights Report // The Guardian, 29.10.2011 - http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/29/commonwealth-meeting-human-rights-disgrace

10 Eminent Persons Group Report - http://www.thecommonwealth.org/files/241620/FileName/EminentPersonsGroupReport.pdf

Kellner P. 11 Does the Commonwealth have a Bright Future? Yes, if it's Ready to Change // The Guardian, 29.10.2011 - http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2011/oct/29/commonwealth-future-hum an-rights

12 CHOGM 2011 Communique 30 October 2011 - http://www.thecommonwealth.org/news/34580/241632/301011communique.htm

Watt N. 13 Op. cit.

14 Ibid.

15 Commonwealth Summit 2011: Leaders Told They Face Failure if Rights Reforms not Adopted // Canadian press, 29.10.2011 - http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/10/29/commonwealth-summit-failure-if-consensus-not-made _n_1064860.html

16 CHOGM 2011 Pert, Australia. 'A Commonwealth of the People: Time for Urgent Reform'. Agreement by Heads of Government Regarding the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) Proposals http://www.thecommonwealth.org/files/241762/File e/EPGFinal.pdf


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