Countries of the World/COUNTRYS.BIN/dp/0074/00749.txt

Text File | 1991-06-24 | 14KB | 260 lines

$Unique_ID{COW00749}
$Pretitle{233F}
$Title{Caribbean Commonwealth
Appendix B.   The Commonwealth of Nations}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Rex A. Hudson}
$Affiliation{HQ, Department of the Army}
$Subject{commonwealth
british
members
economic
britain
member
nations
states
caribbean
international}
$Date{1987}
$Log{Table A.*0074901.tab
Table B.*0074902.tab
Table C.*0074903.tab
Table D.*0074904.tab
}
Country:     Caribbean Commonwealth
Book:        Caribbean Commonwealth, An Area Study: Security Perspectives
Author:      Rex A. Hudson
Affiliation: HQ, Department of the Army
Date:        1987

Appendix B.   The Commonwealth of Nations

     The Commonwealth of Nations, more commonly known simply as the
Commonwealth, is a voluntary association of independent sovereign states,
including Britain and former British territories. Any former British territory
may seek Commonwealth membership, which is granted by unanimous consent of the
members. The Commonwealth also includes associated states (see Glossary) of
Britain, crown colonies (see Glossary) of Britain, and dependencies of
Australia and New Zealand (see table A, this appendix).


[See Table A.: Independent Members of the Commonwealth]

[See Table B.: Dependencies and Associated States of Britain]

[See Table C.: Dependencies of Australia]

[See Table D.: Dependencies of New Zealand]

     In member nations in which the British monarch serves as the head of
state, she or he is represented by an appointed governor general, who is
independent of the British government. In other Commonwealth nations, the
monarch is represented by a high commissioner who has the status of an
ambassador. Member states meet regularly to discuss issues, coordinate mutual
economic and technical assistance, and formulate proposals regarding
international economic affairs.

History

     The Commonwealth of Nations is a twentieth-century creation, but its
origins go back to events in 1867. In that year the British Parliament passed
the British North American Act, creating the self-governing Dominion of
Canada. Canada was the first British colony to gain self-government, and from
that time on Britain began to redefine its relationship with its colonies.
Australia became a dominion in 1900, New Zealand in 1907, and the Union of
South Africa in 1910.

     Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Union of South Africa dispatched
troops to aid in the British war effort in World War I. They also participated
in the postwar peace conference and in the creation of the League of Nations.
Such actions led Britain to acknowledge these countries more as equals than as
former colonies.

     In 1926 the Imperial Conference of Commonwealth members adopted the
Balfour Formula on the status of the dominions. The conference defined the
dominions and Britain as "autonomous communities with the Empire, equal in
status, in no way subordinate to one another in any aspect of their domestic
or external affairs, though united by a common allegiance to the Crown, and
freely associated as members of the British Commonwealth of Nations." The
formula continued, "Every self-governing member of the Empire is now the
master of its destiny. In fact, if not always in form, it is subject to no
compulsion whatsoever."

     The British government codified these basic principles of equal status
and free association in 1931 in the Statute of Westminster, which has been
characterized as the "Magna Carta of the Commonwealth." The statute also
recognized the full legislative autonomy of the dominions and offered all
former colonies the right to secede from the Commonwealth.

     The Ottawa Imperial Conference of 1932 added an economic dimension to the
Commonwealth by creating the Commonwealth Preference, a system of preferential
tariffs that applied to trade between Britain and the other Commonwealth
members. Under this system, Britain imported goods from other Commonwealth
countries without imposing any tariffs. Commonwealth members were encouraged
to negotiate similar trade agreements with one another. For the next decade
and a half the Commonwealth in essence functioned as an economic bloc
vis-a-vis the rest of the world. However, following World War II, as world and
British trade policies were liberalized, the bloc gradually disintegrated. The
Commonwealth Preference was finally terminated in 1977 as a condition of
Britain's entrance into the European Economic Community (EEC). Nevertheless,
Commonwealth nations have been linked to the EEC through the Lome Convention
(see Glossary), which offers former colonies of EEC members in Africa, the
Pacific, and the Caribbean preferential access to EEC markets and economic
assistance. The Lome Convention is updated every five years.

     A new Commonwealth gradually emerged after World War II, reflecting the
progress of decolonization and the needs of new members. In the process, the
Commonwealth became both more decentralized and more concerned with economic
and social needs. In 1947 Britain granted complete independence to India and
Pakistan, and in 1948 Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka) and Burma gained
independence. Burma did not join the Commonwealth, but the other three became
independent Commonwealth members. In deference to India, a self-declared
republic, the Commonwealth dropped the requirement of formal allegiance to the
crown. In 1949 the Irish Republic seceded, although the citizens of the
republic continue to enjoy the rights and privileges of British subjects. In
1961 South Africa left the Commonwealth because its racial policies differed
from the values of all other Commonwealth members.

     During the 1960s and 1970s, a large number of British colonies achieved
independence and joined the expanded Commonwealth, including most former
colonies in sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. Some former
British colonies did not join, however. Pakistan left in 1972, after Britain
and other members recognized Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan. (However, in
mid-1987 Pakistan petitioned to rejoin the Commonwealth, and action on the
request was regarded as likely to occur at the next Meeting of Heads of
Government of the Commonwealth.)

Principles

     Although the Statute of Westminster affirms the principles of free
association and equal status, the contemporary Commonwealth has no written
charter or formal treaty. Instead, its governing features are found in a few
basic procedures, its periodic declarations of principle, and an organization
designed for consultations and mutual assistance. This framework is both
flexible and adaptable and is a major reason why the Commonwealth has survived
major changes in membership and member interests.

     Two central procedures govern the Commonwealth--its process of making
decisions by consensus and its biennial Meeting of Heads of Government of the
Commonwealth. The latter are held in odd-numbered years and in different
cities and regions within the Commonwealth. In alternate years senior
officials hold policy-review meetings. Finance ministers meet annually, and
other meetings are held as appropriate.

     Over time, the Commonwealth has become more oriented toward its
less-developed members. Major declarations of principle reflect this trend.
The Declaration of Commonwealth Principles, adopted at the 1971 Singapore
meeting, affirmed the members' belief "in the liberty of the individual, in
equal rights for all citizens regardless of race, color, creed or political
belief, and in their inalienable right to participate by means of free and
democratic processes in framing the society in which they live." The
declaration also opposed all forms of colonial domination and racial
oppression.

     The 1977 meeting in Gleneagles, Scotland, issued the Agreement on
Apartheid in Sport, reaffirming opposition to apartheid but allowing each
member to decide whether or not to participate in sporting events with South
Africa. The 1979 conference in Lusaka, Zambia, issued both an important
framework for a peaceful set