Commonwealth of Nations and British Dependent Territories. When did the British Commonwealth of Nations come into being? Great Britain and the Commonwealth countries

(English) Commonwealth of Nations), briefly called simply Commonwealth(English) The Commonwealth) - , uniting mainly countries that were previously part of British Empire. These countries, located on five continents, are linked to the UK by a common historical past and common declared values, such as democracy, equality, human rights and freedoms. Despite the difference in social, political and economic structure, members of the Commonwealth are pursuing development friendly relations and full cooperation, recognizing the British monarch as the symbolic head of their unity.

History of the Commonwealth of Nations.

The modern Commonwealth of Nations was founded in 1949, but its roots go back to the late 19th century. As early as 1884, British diplomats began to speak of the British Empire as the Commonwealth of Nations. Despite the name change, this organization was still not the voluntary association of equal states that it is today. The colonial territories were still under complete British control.

In the twentieth century, the colonies with a predominant European population - Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa, the status of dominions was granted - in fact independent states, while they became members of the British Commonwealth of Nations. When India and Pakistan gained independence in 1947, and a year later Sri Lanka, they agreed to join the existing association of five states in order to become more familiar with their experience public administration. After a republican form of government was established in India and it ceased to be subordinate to the British monarchy, it was necessary to radically reconsider fundamental principles organizations. " British Commonwealth Nations" was renamed the "Commonwealth of Nations", and the London Declaration adopted in 1949 marked the beginning of the organization's existence in its modern form as a voluntary association of free and independent states.

During the second half of the twentieth century, numerous British colonies gained independence and almost all of them decided to join the Commonwealth of Nations. The number of organization members has grown from eight countries to 53. The last two countries to join, Mozambique and Rwanda, had no previous ties to the British Empire. However, not all countries participate in the Commonwealth continuously. When South Africa adopted a republican form of government in the early 1960s, the new government's bid was rejected due to human rights violations. Following the end of the apartheid regime, South Africa was allowed to renew its membership in 1994. Pakistan left in 1972 to protest the Commonwealth's recognition of Bangladesh as an independent state, but rejoined the organization in 1989. Due to human rights violations, Zimbabwe's membership was suspended in 2002. The Gambia left the Commonwealth in 2013, calling this organization an institution of neo-colonialism, but four years later, on February 8, 2018, it returned. Finally, in 2016, the Maldives announced its decision to leave the Commonwealth due to the organization's interference in its internal affairs.

Goals and objectives of the Commonwealth of Nations.

The original purpose of the Commonwealth of Nations was to maintain the stability of the system of international trade built by the British Empire, and later it helped ensure a smooth transition from colonial trade and economic relations to new capitalist ones. During cold war The Commonwealth was used by Britain as an additional channel to counter communist movements in its former colonies in the Third World. Nowadays, the Commonwealth is a kind of international forum in which highly developed economies (such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Singapore and New Zealand) and many of the world's poor countries strive to reach an agreement based on consensus.

At a meeting of Commonwealth heads of state in Singapore in January 1971, a declaration of principles was adopted confirming the organization's commitment to international peace and order, promoting personal freedom, promoting equality and combating discrimination; the fight against poverty, ignorance and disease; development of international trade and cooperation. The Commonwealth's current priorities, as stated in the 2003 Asorok Declaration, are to promote democracy, good governance, human rights, gender equality and a fairer sharing of the benefits of globalization.

Membership criteria.

The existing criteria for membership are defined in the Kampala Communiqué adopted at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. This document removed the requirement that applicants must be formerly part of the British Empire. In fact, two Commonwealth members, Mozambique and Rwanda, were never part of the British Empire.

The main criteria for admission to the Commonwealth are as follows:

• the applicant country must generally have a historical constitutional association with an existing member of the Commonwealth, unless in exceptional circumstances in which case applications must be assessed on a case-by-case basis;
• the applicant country must accept and respect the core values, principles and priorities of the Commonwealth;
• the applicant country must demonstrate a commitment to: democracy and democratic processes; rule of law and independence judiciary; and the protection of human rights, freedom of expression and equality of opportunity;
• the applicant country must accept Commonwealth rules and conventions, such as the use English language as a means of intra-commonwealth communication and recognize Queen Elizabeth II as the head of the Commonwealth.

Organization structure.

Head of the Commonwealth.

Until 1949, the head of all eight members of the British Commonwealth of Nations was King George VI of the United Kingdom. India, however, despite the establishment of a republican form of government, stated its desire to continue full membership in the Commonwealth. At the fourth conference of heads of government, members of the organization decided to meet it halfway by adopting the London Declaration, in which they agreed that in the Commonwealth the king would be given new role- not a general head, but “a symbol of the free association of independent states and as such the head of the Commonwealth.”

The title "Head of the Commonwealth" became part of royal title in each of the 16 states that recognize the King of the United Kingdom as their monarch. However, the title is not hereditary - after the death of the monarch, the heir to the crown does not automatically become the head of the Commonwealth.

Currently the title is eldest daughter George VI, Queen Elizabeth II. At the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Charles, Prince of Wales was appointed as her official successor.

Meeting of heads of government of the Commonwealth countries.

The main forum for decision-making of this organization is the Meeting of Heads of Government of the Commonwealth Countries, convened every two years. The heads of government of the participating countries, including (among others) prime ministers and presidents, meet for several days to discuss issues of mutual interest. The Heads of Government Meeting is the successor to the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Meetings and, earlier, to the Imperial and Colonial Conferences held since 1887. Regular meetings of ministers of finance, ministers of justice, ministers of health, etc. are also convened. Members of the organization in debt cannot send their representatives to either the meeting of heads of government or ministerial meetings.

The head of government of the state hosting the Meeting is called the current Chairman of the Commonwealth and retains this position until the next Meeting. At the Heads of Government Meeting, held from 18 to 20 April 2018 in London, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom was the Acting Chair Theresa May and she will remain in this position until the next Meeting, which is to be held in 2020 in Rwanda.

Commonwealth Secretariat.

The Commonwealth Secretariat is the principal intergovernmental body and central agency of the Commonwealth of Nations. The Secretariat was founded by a decision of the Prime Ministerial Meeting in June 1965 to promote cooperation among members; organizing meetings at top level Commonwealth countries; providing assistance and advisory support on policy development and its implementation in the member countries of the Commonwealth. The Secretariat also provides technical support to governments to promote the socio-economic development of their countries and promote the fundamental political values ​​of the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth Secretariat has observer status in General Assembly United Nations. It is located at Marlborough House in London, UK, a former royal residence granted to it by Queen Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth.

The Secretariat is headed by the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, who is elected by the heads of government of the Commonwealth for a term of four years no more than twice. Secretary General and his two deputies supervise the work of eleven branches and three special units members of the Secretariat.

Commonwealth Games.

The Commonwealth Games are international sporting competitions between member countries of the Commonwealth of Nations. The competition was first held in 1930 and has since been held every four years in different cities Commonwealth. The Commonwealth Games were known as the British Empire Games from 1930 to 1950, the British Empire and Commonwealth Games from 1954 to 1966, and the British Commonwealth Games from 1970 to 1974. The 2018 Commonwealth Games took place from 4 to 15 April in Gold Coast, Australia.

The organizing country must include at least 10 sports disciplines in the games program, including: athletics, badminton, boxing (men only), grass bowling, netball (women only), rugby sevens (men only), aquatic species sports, hockey, squash and weightlifting. In addition, the games program may include sports such as archery, rhythmic gymnastics, judo, rowing, basketball, cycling, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon.

Commonwealth Day.

Commonwealth Day is an annual holiday held in honor of the anniversary of the Commonwealth of Nations. This day was first celebrated in 1902, on January 22, the birthday of Queen Victoria, and was then called Empire Day. Its original purpose was to be "a symbol of the unity of feeling... for those ideals of freedom, justice and tolerance which the British Empire stands for throughout the world." In 1958, Empire Day was renamed Commonwealth Day, and in 1974 its date was moved to the second Monday in March.

Commonwealth Day is a public holiday in some Commonwealth countries, but not in the UK itself. On this day, a multi-faith service is held in Westminster Abbey, usually attended by Queen Elizabeth II as Head of the Commonwealth, along with the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, as well as representatives from each member state. The Queen makes an address to the Commonwealth countries, which is broadcast around the world.

The era of kings and emperors gave way to republics and parliamentary monarchies, and the few kings that remained in power today are significantly limited in their rights. But not the British Queen Elizabeth II. The monarch of Great Britain, in addition to his own country, is the head of 15 other independent states, including Canada and Australia. And this is not a simple formality, as it might seem at first glance.

The monarchs of Sweden, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands and other kingdoms of Europe perform largely representative functions without playing a significant role in political life their states. The British monarch, who has been Elizabeth II for more than 65 years, although she has limitations in her power in the form of the British Parliament, nevertheless has a number of key capabilities.

For example, the Queen has the right to reject the candidacy of a prime minister who, in her opinion, is not suitable for the state. There are also two known cases in British history when Elizabeth II personally appointed a prime minister. In addition, the Queen can dissolve Parliament with the support of 2/3 of the House of Commons.

The British Queen is the head of the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (this is the full name of the country that we often simply call Great Britain). It is she who has the right to declare war or make peace, and also to direct active army to places of hostilities.

Every week the Queen hosts current prime minister for "exchange of views". Of course, the content of these conversations is not disclosed, but judging by regular meetings, the relationship between the British Queen and the country's Prime Minister is much deeper than it might seem from the outside. In addition, in Great Britain there is a Privy Council, which daily serves the Queen necessary documents for study. The Queen of Great Britain is the head of the Anglican Church. And finally, the British monarch has immunity. A civil suit or criminal case cannot be filed against the person of the monarch.

Elizabeth II is the head of state not only of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and all colonies, belonging to the country, but also 15 more states that are officially independent. These countries were former colonies of the British Empire, but after gaining independence, the British monarch officially remained the head of state.

The British Queen is the head of the Commonwealth of Nations, which in addition to these 15 countries includes India, South Africa, Pakistan and many others. In all other members of the Commonwealth of Nations, the British Queen is not the head of state. Among these 15 states there are both the largest countries in the world by area, for example, Canada, and very small ones. Elizabeth II appoints governors general, who are her representatives in these countries. In addition to many other rights, the British Queen leads the armed forces of all these countries, through the same governors general. So, let's take a look at the possessions of the British queen:

Australia

This state with a population of 24.8 million people (according to statistics for 2018) occupies a whole continent. And although in recent years There is an active debate on turning Australia into a republic, the Queen is still the head of state.

Antigua and Barbuda

An island nation in the Caribbean with a population of approximately 93,500 people (2016 estimate).

Bahamas

State located on the islands in Atlantic Ocean, in whose territory 321,800 people live (according to 2014 estimates).

Barbados

Barbados is a Caribbean island nation with a population of approximately 277,800 (2010 estimate).

Belize

A Central American state with a population of 347,370 people (as of 2015).

Grenada

A small island nation in the Caribbean with a population of 107,800 (2010 estimate).

Canada

This second largest country in the world is a former colony of Great Britain and, despite its independence, the British Queen is the head of state, and her powers here are much broader than in Great Britain itself. The population of this country is 36.6 million people (as of 2017).

New Zealand

New Zealand is located on the islands east of Australia and has a population of approximately 4.85 million (2018 estimate).

Papua New Guinea

Island state in Pacific Ocean with a population of 7.3 million (2013 estimate).

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Another independent state in the Caribbean with a population of 104,200 people (as of 2010).

Saint Kitts and Nevis

About 50,000 people live on the territory of this state in the Caribbean Sea (as of 2010).

Saint Lucia

A small state in the Caribbean with a population of 160,900 people (as of 2010).

Solomon Islands

These islands in the Pacific Ocean are home to 515,800 people (2009 census).

Tuvalu

The tiny islands in the Pacific Ocean are home to about 11,200 people (as of 2011).

Jamaica

Jamaica is located on an island of the same name in the Caribbean Sea and is home to 2.93 million people (2014 estimate).

In total, together with the population of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the colonial lands, Elizabeth II has more than 140 million subjects around the world.

At the 1926 Conference of Prime Ministers of Great Britain and the British Dominions, the Balfour Declaration was adopted, in which Great Britain and the Dominions recognized that these states had "equal status and are not dependent on each other in any aspect of their internal or foreign policy, despite the fact that they are brought together by a common loyalty to the Crown and free membership in the British Commonwealth of Nations."

The legal status of the Commonwealth was established on December 11, 1931, and until 1947 it represented a kind of union of states, each of which was united with Great Britain by a personal union (that is, the British monarch was recognized as the head of the dominions).

Development

Membership in the Commonwealth is open to all countries that recognize the main goals of its activities. There must also be past or present constitutional links between the candidate for accession and the UK or another Commonwealth member. Not all members of the organization have direct constitutional ties to Great Britain - some of the South Pacific states were governed by Australia or New Zealand, and Namibia was governed by South Africa. In 1995, Cameroon became a member of the Commonwealth. Only part of its territory was under British control under the mandate of the League of Nations (-) and under the trusteeship agreement with the UN (1946-1961).

There is only one member of the Commonwealth for whom this rule has been violated. Mozambique, a former colony of Portugal, was admitted to the Commonwealth following the triumphant restoration of South Africa's membership and the holding of Mozambique's first democratic elections. Mozambique was asked for by its neighbors, all of whom were members of the Commonwealth and wanted to help Mozambique overcome the damage caused to the country's economy due to its confrontation with the white minority regimes in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and South Africa. The heads of state of the Commonwealth nevertheless decided that the Mozambique issue should be considered as special and not creating a precedent for the future.

Failed membership

Termination of membership

Each Commonwealth country enjoys the unconditional right to unilaterally withdraw from it.

Although heads of government of Commonwealth member countries have the right to suspend the participation of individual countries in the work of Commonwealth bodies, the possibility of exclusion from the Commonwealth is not defined by any documents. At the same time, states of the Commonwealth (Commonwealth Realms) that proclaim themselves to be republics automatically leave the Commonwealth unless they ask the remaining members to maintain their membership in the Commonwealth. Ireland did not make such a request, since at the time of its proclamation of a republic in 1949 this provision did not yet exist. The issue of Ireland joining the Commonwealth has been raised several times, but this proposal does not enjoy support among the local population, who continue to associate the Commonwealth with British imperialism. The Irish Republic became the first state to leave the Commonwealth and not regain its membership.

Suspension of participation in Commonwealth affairs

In recent years, there have been several cases of suspension of the participation of Commonwealth members “in the activities of Commonwealth Councils” (meetings of leaders and ministers of member countries) for obvious violations of democratic governance standards. This measure does not terminate that State's membership in the Commonwealth.

This measure was taken in relation to Fiji in and after the military coup in this country and in relation to Pakistan from to and from November for a similar reason.

Nigeria did not participate in the meetings from to. A similar measure was taken in relation to Zimbabwe (the reason was the electoral and land reforms of the government of Robert Mugabe).

Structure of the Commonwealth

Marlborough House, headquarters of the Commonwealth Secretariat

Traditionally, the head of the Commonwealth is declared to be the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. As the head of the Commonwealth, she does not perform any formal functions and her role in the daily activities of the organization is only symbolic. In 17 Commonwealth states, the British monarch is still the de jure head of state, but also does not perform formal functions.

The post of head of the Commonwealth is not a title and is not inherited. When there is a change of monarch on the British throne, the heads of government of the Commonwealth member countries will have to make a formal decision on the appointment of a new head of the organization.

The administrative management of the Commonwealth is carried out by the Secretariat, whose headquarters have been located in London since 1965. Since 2008, the head of the Secretariat has been Kamalesh Sharma (India).

The anniversary of the creation of the Commonwealth - Commonwealth Day - is celebrated in Great Britain on the second Tuesday of March, and official name The British government's Foreign Office (similar to the Foreign Office) is still the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Foreign and Commonwealth Office ).

Diplomatic relations

The states belonging to the Commonwealth maintain ordinary diplomatic relations among themselves through High Commissioners ( High Commissioners), having the rank of ambassadors. Diplomatic relations between the Commonwealth countries and other states are carried out as usual.

After the end of World War II, the collapse of the British Empire began, caused by the growth of national liberation movements in the British possessions and the financial difficulties of the British government. Since 1946, the “British Commonwealth” began to be called simply “the Commonwealth”.

Already the acquisition of independence by India and the establishment of a republican form of government in it (and, consequently, the refusal to recognize the British monarch as head of state) required a radical revision of the foundations of the organization of the Commonwealth. In particular, the name of the organization itself was changed, and humanitarian missions became the priority goals of its activities, educational activities etc. The Commonwealth is considered primarily as an organization within which states differing in level of development and nature of the economy have the opportunity to enter into close and equal interaction.

Burma and Aden, which gained independence in 1948 and 1967. accordingly, they became the only former British colonies not to become part of the Commonwealth after independence. Of the former protectorates and mandate territories of the League of Nations, the Commonwealth did not include Egypt (which became independent in 1922), Israel (1948), Iraq (1932), Bahrain (1971), Jordan (1946), Kuwait (1961) and Oman (1971). ). The Irish Republic left the Commonwealth with the proclamation of a republican form of government in 1949. Despite this, according to the Ireland Act 1949, citizens of the Irish Republic have equal status under British law with citizens of Commonwealth countries.

The issue of the contradiction between the republican form of government and membership in the Commonwealth was resolved in April 1949. at the meeting of Commonwealth Prime Ministers in London. India agreed to recognize the British monarch as "the symbol of the free association of the independent Member States of the Commonwealth and the Head of the Commonwealth" from January 1950, when the declaration of India as a republic was to take effect. The remaining members of the Commonwealth, for their part, agreed to maintain India's membership in the organization. At the insistence of Pakistan, it was decided that a similar decision would be made in relation to other states. The Declaration of London is often seen as the document marking the beginning of the Commonwealth in its modern form.

Until now, in 16 states that are members of the Commonwealth (in addition to the United Kingdom), the British monarch, represented by the Governor-General, is recognized as the head of state. He is also the head of the Commonwealth; this title, however, does not imply any political power over the member states of the Commonwealth and does not automatically apply to the British monarch. Most Commonwealth member states do not recognize the British monarch as head of state. This, however, does not affect their status within the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth is not a political union, and membership in it does not allow Great Britain to exercise any political influence over other members.

With the growth of the Commonwealth, Great Britain and the pre-1945 Dominions (the name "Dominion" fell out of official use in the 1940s) became informally known as "Old Commonwealth"(Old Commonwealth), especially since the 1960s, when disagreements began between some of them and the less wealthy members of the Commonwealth from among the newly independent states of Africa and Asia. These disagreements, which led to accusations of racism and colonialism against the Old, "White" Commonwealth that its interests were different from those of the organization's African members, arose during the bitter debate over Southern Rhodesia in the 1970s, the imposition of sanctions on South Africa in the 1980s and, more recently, on the need to promote democratic reforms in Nigeria and subsequently Zimbabwe. In particular, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe often uses the phrase "White Commonwealth", claiming that the Commonwealth's attempts to force him to bring about political changes in the country are in fact manifestations of racism and colonialism on the part of the White Commonwealth, which dominates the Commonwealth of Nations as such.