Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth
Also
called Commonwealth of Nations , formerly (1931–49) British
Commonwealth of Nations a free association of sovereign states
comprising the United Kingdom and a number of its former dependencies
who have chosen to maintain ties of friendship and practical cooperation
and who acknowledge the British monarch as symbolic head of their
association. In 1965 the Commonwealth Secretariat was established in
London to organize and coordinate Commonwealth activities.
Historically,theCommonwealthwasanevolutionaryoutgrowthoftheBritishEmpire.ThetraditionalBritishpolicyofallowingconsiderableself-governmentinitscoloniesledtotheexistencebythe19thcenturyofseveraldependentstatesthatwerepopulatedtoasignificantdegreebyEuropeansaccustomedtoformsofparliamentaryruleandthatpossessedlargemeasuresofsovereignty.By1931theywererecognizedashavingspecialstatuswithintheempirebytheStatuteofWestminster,whichreferredspecificallytoa “BritishCommonwealthofNations.” Therapidgrowthofnationalisminotherpartsoftheempirefromthe1920sproducedalongseriesofgrantsofindependence,beginningwiththattoIndiain1947,andrequiredaredefinitionoftheCommonwealth.In1947IndiaandPakistanbecamemembersoftheCommonwealth,thefirstwithchieflynon-Europeanpopulations.In1948Burma(Myanmar)becameindependentandrejectedmembership.In1949Indiaannounceditsintentiontobecomearepublic,whichwouldhaverequireditswithdrawalfromtheCommonwealthundertheexistingrules,butatameetingofCommonwealthheadsofgovernmentinLondoninApril1949itwasagreedthatIndiacouldcontinueitsmembershipifitacceptedtheBritishcrownasonly “thesymbolofthefreeassociation” ofCommonwealthmembers.ThatdeclarationwasthefirsttodroptheadjectiveBritish,andthereaftertheofficialnameoftheorganizationbecametheCommonwealthofNations,orsimplytheCommonwealth.TheCommonwealthwasalsobesetbyotherdifficulties,somemembersoptingtowithdrawfromtheorganization,asdidIreland(1949),SouthAfrica(1961),andPakistan(1972),thoughbothSouthAfricaandPakistaneventuallyrejoined(theformerin1994andthelatterin1989).Commonwealthmembershipgrewdramaticallyinthesecondhalfofthe20thcenturyasformerdependenciesattainedsovereignty.MostofthedependentstatesgrantedindependencechoseCommonwealthmembership,andtheorganizationhasevengrowntoincludeMozambique(joined1995),whichwasthefirstcountrygrantedentrythatwasneverpartoftheBritishEmpireorunderthecontrolofanymember.
TheCommonwealthdiffersfromotherinternationalbodies.Ithasnoformalconstitutionorbylaws.Themembershavenolegalorformalobligationtooneanother;theyareheldtogetherbysharedtraditions,institutions,andexperiencesaswellasbyeconomicself-interest.Commonwealthactionisbaseduponconsultationbetweenmembers,whichisconductedthroughcorrespondenceandthroughconversationsinmeetings.Eachmembercountrysendsanemissary,calledahighcommissioner,tothecapitalsoftheothermembers.ACommonwealthHeadsofGovernmentMeetingisheldeverytwoyears.AtthemeetinginSingaporein1971,membersadoptedadeclarationthatrestatedtheCommonwealth'svoluntaryandcooperativenatureandcommittedtheorganizationtopromotinginternationalpeace,fightingracism,opposingcolonialdomination,andreducinginequitiesinwealth.ThisdeclarationwasechoedatthemeetinginHarare,Zimbabwe,in1991,whenleadersfurthercommittedtheorganizationtohumanrightsanddemocracy.
Britain has huge overseas investments, both government and private, in the Commonwealth. When Britain joined the European Economic Community (later called the European Community) in 1973, the trade privileges of member countries began to be reduced. Now Commonwealth members have trade agreements with the European Union. Many of the exports of Commonwealth countries go to other member countries. In 1996 the Commonwealth Africa Investment Fund was established to increase investment in that continent. There are also significant educational links between members, as many British teachers travel overseas and many students from Commonwealth members study in Britain. Other cultural links include the Commonwealth Games, a sporting competition held every four years.
In addition to independent members, the Commonwealth also comprises dependent territories, which are formally governed by Great Britain, Australia, or New Zealand. Most of the older dependencies are colonies. Dependencies include Anguilla, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, and the Turks and Caicos Islands (Britain); Christmas Island, the Cocos Islands, the Coral Sea Islands, and Norfolk Island (Australia); and Niue and Tokelau (New Zealand). Britain has followed a policy of leading the dependencies toward self-government by creating territorial governments in them; these governments comprise a lawmaking body (often called the legislative council); an executive body (called the executive council), which with the governor is the executive authority; and an independent judiciary. At first government posts are appointive, but an increasing elected element is introduced, as constitutions are altered, until elected officials are made wholly responsible for local affairs. After a colony achieves internal self-government, its legislature may apply to the British Parliament for complete independence. It then decides whether to remain in the Commonwealth.
Historically,theCommonwealthwasanevolutionaryoutgrowthoftheBritishEmpire.ThetraditionalBritishpolicyofallowingconsiderableself-governmentinitscoloniesledtotheexistencebythe19thcenturyofseveraldependentstatesthatwerepopulatedtoasignificantdegreebyEuropeansaccustomedtoformsofparliamentaryruleandthatpossessedlargemeasuresofsovereignty.By1931theywererecognizedashavingspecialstatuswithintheempirebytheStatuteofWestminster,whichreferredspecificallytoa “BritishCommonwealthofNations.” Therapidgrowthofnationalisminotherpartsoftheempirefromthe1920sproducedalongseriesofgrantsofindependence,beginningwiththattoIndiain1947,andrequiredaredefinitionoftheCommonwealth.In1947IndiaandPakistanbecamemembersoftheCommonwealth,thefirstwithchieflynon-Europeanpopulations.In1948Burma(Myanmar)becameindependentandrejectedmembership.In1949Indiaannounceditsintentiontobecomearepublic,whichwouldhaverequireditswithdrawalfromtheCommonwealthundertheexistingrules,butatameetingofCommonwealthheadsofgovernmentinLondoninApril1949itwasagreedthatIndiacouldcontinueitsmembershipifitacceptedtheBritishcrownasonly “thesymbolofthefreeassociation” ofCommonwealthmembers.ThatdeclarationwasthefirsttodroptheadjectiveBritish,andthereaftertheofficialnameoftheorganizationbecametheCommonwealthofNations,orsimplytheCommonwealth.TheCommonwealthwasalsobesetbyotherdifficulties,somemembersoptingtowithdrawfromtheorganization,asdidIreland(1949),SouthAfrica(1961),andPakistan(1972),thoughbothSouthAfricaandPakistaneventuallyrejoined(theformerin1994andthelatterin1989).Commonwealthmembershipgrewdramaticallyinthesecondhalfofthe20thcenturyasformerdependenciesattainedsovereignty.MostofthedependentstatesgrantedindependencechoseCommonwealthmembership,andtheorganizationhasevengrowntoincludeMozambique(joined1995),whichwasthefirstcountrygrantedentrythatwasneverpartoftheBritishEmpireorunderthecontrolofanymember.
TheCommonwealthdiffersfromotherinternationalbodies.Ithasnoformalconstitutionorbylaws.Themembershavenolegalorformalobligationtooneanother;theyareheldtogetherbysharedtraditions,institutions,andexperiencesaswellasbyeconomicself-interest.Commonwealthactionisbaseduponconsultationbetweenmembers,whichisconductedthroughcorrespondenceandthroughconversationsinmeetings.Eachmembercountrysendsanemissary,calledahighcommissioner,tothecapitalsoftheothermembers.ACommonwealthHeadsofGovernmentMeetingisheldeverytwoyears.AtthemeetinginSingaporein1971,membersadoptedadeclarationthatrestatedtheCommonwealth'svoluntaryandcooperativenatureandcommittedtheorganizationtopromotinginternationalpeace,fightingracism,opposingcolonialdomination,andreducinginequitiesinwealth.ThisdeclarationwasechoedatthemeetinginHarare,Zimbabwe,in1991,whenleadersfurthercommittedtheorganizationtohumanrightsanddemocracy.
Britain has huge overseas investments, both government and private, in the Commonwealth. When Britain joined the European Economic Community (later called the European Community) in 1973, the trade privileges of member countries began to be reduced. Now Commonwealth members have trade agreements with the European Union. Many of the exports of Commonwealth countries go to other member countries. In 1996 the Commonwealth Africa Investment Fund was established to increase investment in that continent. There are also significant educational links between members, as many British teachers travel overseas and many students from Commonwealth members study in Britain. Other cultural links include the Commonwealth Games, a sporting competition held every four years.
In addition to independent members, the Commonwealth also comprises dependent territories, which are formally governed by Great Britain, Australia, or New Zealand. Most of the older dependencies are colonies. Dependencies include Anguilla, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, and the Turks and Caicos Islands (Britain); Christmas Island, the Cocos Islands, the Coral Sea Islands, and Norfolk Island (Australia); and Niue and Tokelau (New Zealand). Britain has followed a policy of leading the dependencies toward self-government by creating territorial governments in them; these governments comprise a lawmaking body (often called the legislative council); an executive body (called the executive council), which with the governor is the executive authority; and an independent judiciary. At first government posts are appointive, but an increasing elected element is introduced, as constitutions are altered, until elected officials are made wholly responsible for local affairs. After a colony achieves internal self-government, its legislature may apply to the British Parliament for complete independence. It then decides whether to remain in the Commonwealth.
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