Call to revive the Commonwealth

Geraldine Coutts

Last Updated: Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:17:00 +1100

The Commonwealth grouping of nations needs a bold makeover if it is going to assume its rightful place in world affairs, says the director of a body that has issued a damning report on it.

Danny Sriskandarajah, director of the Royal Commonwealth Society, told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat: "I do think that there's an important role for it on the world stage and what the Commonwealth can offer is amazing to world issues.

"Here's a forum that involves big countries, small countries, rich countries, poor countries.

"It's got the fabulous sort of informal network of leaders who talk to each other."

Imagination

But Dr Sriskandarajah, speaking from Trinidad and Tobago, where a Commonwealth heads of government meeting is being held, said: "We believe it can only get its rightful place if it does look at its public profile and does actively try to capture people's imagination."

The report commissioned by his society to mark the Commonwealth's 60th anniversary, says the group - formerly the British Commonwealth of Nations - is out of touch and must undergo radical reform to regain relevance and clout.

It urges the Commonwealth to toughen its stance - and sharpen its diplomatic tools - in cases of human rights abuses or attacks against democracy, as have occurred in nations including Zimbabwe, Fiji and Sri Lanka.

Former Australian prime minister Malcolm Fraser writes in the report that leaders need to take the Commonwealth as seriously as their predecessors did. ''Without enthusiasm from presidents and prime ministers to use the Commonwealth to find shared solutions to common problems, its great potential risks being wasted.”

Researchers asked tens of thousands of people worldwide, including policymakers and former heads of government in the 53 member states, their thoughts on the association.

Habits

Dr Sriskandarajah says the report was meant to provoke. "Here's an international association that's sort of got I suspect a little bit sort of caught in old habits."

He sees the Commonwealth's role as an important behind-the-scenes forum for international change.

"If you take an issue like climate change, which is going to be very high on the agenda here in Trinidad this week, the Commonwealth is not going to be the United Nations.

"And (it) is not going to be able to do international negotiations on a mission target.

"It's not going to be the World Bank that's going to invest billions of pounds in new technology to fight climate change.

"But it can be an informal dialogue between big carbon emitters or producers and poor developing countries.

Practice

"It could be a forum for innovation where something truly experimental gets tried out, or it could be a forum for sharing best practice. “

As an example, he says Australian proposals for cleaner coal could be of interest to Zambia. “And the Commonwealth is the perfect vehicle for that.

"So I mean it doesn't really matter what the Commonwealth focuses on: I think the opportunity here is to come to that and see how it might add value in the international community."

The London-based Royal Commonwealth Society, which has charitable status, seeks to promote discussion about its parent association.

Its director says people have to get out of their minds that still "this is the British Commonwealth, that it's all about the monarchy and relationships with Britain, when in fact it's a very mature international association of equal member states".