Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 53 countries that support each other and work together towards shared goals in democracy and development. The Commonwealth believes the best democracies are achieved through partnerships of governments, business and civil society. Beyond the ties of history, language and institutions, members are united through the associations values of democracy, freedom, peace, the rule of law and opportunity for all. These values were agreed and set down by all Commonwealth Heads of Government at two of their biennial meetings (known as CHOGMs) in Singapore in 1971 and reaffirmed in Harare in 1991. The values are protected at government level by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), a rotating group of nine foreign ministers, which assesses the nature of any infringement and recommends measures for collective action from member countries. It can suspend or recommend to Heads of Government that a member country be expelled. When countries are suspended, the Commonwealth makes every effort to bring them back into the fold. While CMAG represents one aspect of the Commonwealths commitment to democratic principles, many more discreet interventions are made through good offices work, where specially appointed representatives conduct quiet diplomacy to help prevent or resolve conflicts, and build dialogue and democratic structures. thecommonwealth.org/history-of-the-commonwealth/harare-commonwealth-declaration
Posted on: Fri, 01 Aug 2014 03:44:48 +0000
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