A Brief History of The Commonwealth

The modern Commonwealth is the outcome of a natural evolution (which is still continuing) rather than any set pattern. Although fundamentally different from the British Empire from which it grew, it can trace its origins to the development of British colonial policy from the early nineteenth century.

The Commonwealth began to emerge as countries shifted from colonial to dominion status. In the 1840s self-government was introduced in Canada and so laid the foundations for the emergence of Canada as the first Dominion. Dominion status, consisting of internal self-government and a considerable degree of freedom in foreign relations, came to imply equality with Britain. Australia achieved Dominion status in 1900, New Zealand in 1907, South Africa in 1910 and the Irish Free State in 1921. In 1884 the British politician Lord Rosebery, visiting Adelaide, called the Empire a "Commonwealth of Nations".

In 1926 the Balfour Declaration defined these Dominions as being "autonomous Communities within the British Empire...united by a common allegiance to the Crown and freely associated as Members of the British Commonwealth of Nations". Formal legal recognition of full independent status came with the passage by the British Parliament of the Statute of Westminster in 1931. The sovereign status defined in the preamble of the Statute was conferred upon all the Dominions forthwith. Canada, South Africa and the Irish Free State swiftly took up its provisions. Australia waited until 1942, New Zealand until 1947.

In 1947 two new Dominions and Commonwealth members were created: India and Pakistan, followed by Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) the next year. These developments set the direction for emergence of the new, multiracial Commonwealth of equals.

India's entry was a landmark in the evolution of the modern Commonwealth, in that India's Constituent Assembly decided to adopt a republican constitution and yet expressed the desire to remain within the Commonwealth. The precedent so established made possible today's Commonwealth of diverse nations, whether republics, national monarchies or monarchies under the Queen. Today member countries regard Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom as the symbol of their free association and as such the Head of the Commonwealth.

A new period in Commonwealth membership began in 1957 when the first African member, Ghana, achieved independence and joined the association. Malaya (incorporated in Malaysia in 1963) also joined on independence in 1957. Commonwealth membership expanded rapidly as British rule over many countries ended in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and the Pacific, and almost all the new nations chose to join the association on independence. They strengthened its multiracial character through their diversity and number.

The contemporary Commonwealth is, therefore, a considerably different body from that which existed in 1931. It has no formal constitutional structure, its members preferring to rely on largely unwritten conventions and accepted procedures. It imposes no statutory obligations on members other than an assessed financial contribution and is a voluntary grouping which is still evolving in form.

To the extent that the Commonwealth has a formal charter, it is contained in two documents - the Singapore Declaration of Commonwealth Principles enunciated by Commonwealth heads of government in 1971, and the Harare Commonwealth Declaration of 1991. The principles laid down in the Singapore Declaration sought to strengthen the influence of the United Nations for international peace and security; to strive to promote institutions and guarantees for personal freedom under law; to combat racial prejudice and colonialism; to overcome poverty, ignorance and disease; and to achieve a more equitable international society.

These principles were reaffirmed in the Harare Declaration, which pledged the Commonwealth and its member states to 'work with renewed vigour'

(i) to protect and promote the Commonwealth's fundamental political values which include democracy, democratic processes and instituions which reflect national circumstances, the rule of law, just and honest government and fundamental human rights, including equal rights and opportunities for all citizens regardless of race, colour, creed or political belief;

(ii) to ensure equality for women;

(iii) to provide universal access to education;

(iv) to continue action to bring about the end of apartheid and establish a democratic, non-racial and prosperous South Africa;

(v) to promote sustainable development and the alleviation of poverty,

(vi) to extend the benefits of development within a framework of respect for human rights;

(vii) to protect the environment;

(viii) to combat drug trafficking and abuse and communicable diseases;

(ix) to help small states in tackling their particular economic and security problems, and;

(x) to support the UN and other international institutions in pursuing peace, disarmament and effective arms control, and in the promotion of international consensus on major global political, economic and social issues.

 Commonwealth Membership

The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of sovereign states. The return of South Africa to the Commonwealth in June 1994 and the joining of Cameroon and Mozambique in 1995 brought Commonwealth membership to 53 countries. There are 51 full members and 2 special members, Nauru and Tuvalu. Special members do not attend CHOGM but they take part in all Commonwealth activities and technical assistance programmes.

Populations of member countries range in size from a few thousand people to several hundred million. These come to a total population of around one-and-a-half billion people - over a quarter of the world's population and around a third of its nation states make up the Commonwealth.

Thirty two members of the Commonwealth are republics. Sixteen are monarchies under Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II; in each of these (except Britain), the Queen is represented by a Governor-General. Five others have national monarches: Brunei Darussalam, Lesotho, Malaysia, Swaziland and Tonga. The Queen, symbol of the free association of independent member nations, is Head of the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth has no formal charter nor any formal requirements for membership although new members can be admitted where there is agreement among existing Commonwealth members. However, an inter-governmental group on criteria for Commonwealth membership will be reporting to CHOGM in 1997, recommending a number of criteria, the key elements of which include the following connventions which have arisen over time:

that prospective members are expected to accept and commit themselves to the Commonwealth's core values and principles as set out in the Harare Commonwealth Declaration of 1991.

their acceptance of Commonwealth practices and conventions, including the use of the English language as the medium of inter_-Commonwealth relations.

their acknowledgement of the role of the British monarch, symbol of the free association of independent member nations, as Head of the Commonwealth.

Associated States and Dependencies

Only independent countries are members, but the Commonwealth also includes some six million people in self-governing states and dependencies associated with member nations. From our region this includes Niue and the Cook Islands. These countries take part in many Commonwealth activities, including programmes of cooperation, and are regarded as part of the Commonwealth family.

* Abbreviations:

M Monarchy under Queen Elizabeth	R Republic
NM National Monarchy	RE Republic with Executive President

Country	Capital	Status *	Joined Commonwealth
Antigua & Barbuda	St John's	M	1981
Australia	Canberra	M	1931
Bahamas	Nassau	M	1973
Bangladesh	Dhaka	R	1972
Barbados	Bridgetown	M	1966
Belize	Belmopan	M	1981
Botswana	Gaborone	RE	1966
Britain	London	M	1931
Brunei Darussalam	Bandar Seri Begawan	NM	1984
Cameroon	Yaoundé	RE	1995
Canada	Ottawa	M	1931
Cyprus	Nicosia	RE	1961
Dominica	Roseau	R	1978
The Gambia	Banjul	RE	1965
Ghana	Accra	RE	1957
Grenada	St George's	M	1974
Guyana	Georgetown	RE	1966
India	New Delhi	R	1947
Jamaica	Kingston	M	1962
Kenya	Nairobi	RE	1963
Kiribati	Tarawa	RE	1979
Lesotho	Maseru	NM	1966
Malawi	Lilongwe	RE	1964
Malaysia	Kuala Lumpur	NM	1957
Maldives	Malé	RE	1982
Malta	Valletta	R	1964
Mauritius	Port Louis	R	1968
Mozambique	Maputo	R	1995
Namibia	Windhoek	RE	1990
New Zealand	Wellington	M	1931
Nigeria	Abuja	RE	1960
Nauru (Special Member)	Nauru	RE	1968
Pakistan	Islamabad	R	1989
Papua New Guinea	Port Moresby	M	1975
St Kitts & Nevis	Basseterre	M	1983
St Lucia	Castries	M	1979
St Vincent & the Grenadines	Kingstown	M	1979
Seychelles	Victoria	RE	1976
Sierra Leone	Freetown	RE	1961
Singapore	Singapore	R	1965
Solomon Islands	Honiara	M	1978
South Africa	Pretoria	R	1994
Sri Lanka	Colombo	RE	1948
Swaziland	Mbabne	NM	1968
Tanzania	Dodoma	RE	1961
Tonga	Nuku'alofa	NM	1970
Trinidad & Tobago	Port of Spain	R	1962
Tuvalu (Special Member)	Funafuti	M	1978
Uganda	Kampala	RE	1962
Vanuatu	Port Vila	R	1980
Western Samoa	Apia	R	1970
Zambia	Lusaka	RE	1964
Zimbabwe	Harare	RE	1980

* Abbreviations: M Monarchy under Queen Elizabeth

NM National Monarchy

R Republic

RE Republic with Executive President

  The Commonwealth Secretariat

The Commonwealth Secretariat is the official international organisation of the Commonwealth. It was set up by Commonwealth Heads of Government in 1965, who saw it as "a visible symbol of the spirit of cooperation which animates the Commonwealth ".

The Secretariat is responsible to Commonwealth governments collectively and is the main agency for multilateral communication between them. It organises meetings and conferences and is responsible for putting into effect decisions for collective action. The Secretariat provides technical assistance for economic and social development through the multilateral Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation. It also promotes consultation, and collects and disseminates information for their use. The main areas of cooperation are:

International and economic affairs

Education and health

Export market development

Legal matters

Rural and industrial development

Economic and financial management

Training

Women and development

The Secretariat is headed by the Secretary_General, who is appointed by Commonwealth Heads of Government. He is assisted by three Deputy Secretaries-General, responsible respectively for Political Affairs, Economic and Social Affairs, and Development Cooperation. The Secretariat staff are recruited from throughout the Commonwealth and work on behalf of all member countries. Many senior members of staff are officials released by member countries for Commonwealth service.

Chief Emeka Anyaoku from Nigeria became Secretary-General on 1 July 1990. He succeeded Sir Shridath Ramphal of Guyana (1975-1990). The late Mr Arnold Smith, of Canada, was the first Secretary-General and served from 1965-1975.

The headquarters of the Secretariat are at Marlborough House in London.

  Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), held every two years in a different Commonwealth country, is the major forum of the Commonwealth. Australia has played a prominent role in these meetings. Following a pattern established in 1971 to hold regular Commonwealth conferences outside Britain, CHOGM was hosted by Australia (Melbourne) in 1981. The United Kingdom (Edinburgh) is the 1997 CHOGM host.

Dates and Venues of CHOGMs

After World War II there were numerous intergovernmental consultations between Commonwealth countries, including regular meetings of the Heads of Government, known as Prime Ministers Meetings. In 1971 these meetings were renamed Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGMs).

1971 Singapore

1973 Ottawa

1975 Kingston

1977 London

1979 Lusaka

1981 Melbourne

1983 New Delhi

1985 Nassau

1987 Vancouver

1989 Kuala Lumpur

1991 Harare

1993 Limassol

1995 Auckland

1997 Edinburgh
 
 

The Commonwealth is now focused on issues of democratisation, good governance and institution building and has set itself a clear agenda through the work of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG). Because of the necessary focus on political events in Auckland, insufficient attention was able to be given to economic and social issues, a point made by several leaders in the final executive session, particularly in relation to sustainable development which member states agree should be a priority area of activity. To remedy this, the special theme for the Edinburgh CHOGM will be "Trade, Investment and Development: The Road to Commonwealth Prosperity". Comment was also made about the need for CHOGM to move beyond simply stating a catalogue of positions on a variety of topical issues, to discussing in depth some of the more serious policy problems facing Commonwealth members in a medium and long-term time frame.

South Africa's return to the Commonwealth and President Mandela's presence added a dimension to the CHOGM, particularly given the Commonwealth's key role, over many years, in bringing an end to apartheid. The Commonwealth has a significant African membership. It takes Africa seriously and seeks to help states of the region to address some of the continent's problems. Heads of Government have expressed the belief that the Commonwealth could help Africa if it looked at the total picture and problems for the whole continent, in a longer-term perspective, and facilitated African solutions to African problems. At the same time, the Commonwealth has to balance the needs of Africa with other important "Commonwealth regions including South Asia, the Pacific and the Caribbean.

The view was also expressed at the Auckland CHOGM that, given the right leadership, the Commonwealth could prove to be a useful organisation to deal with trans-regional issues such as aids, environment, economic prosperity and social policy as well as good governance. Commonwealth focus on these issues could help it find a new role after its earlier successful if lengthy preoccupation with South Africa. It was thought that the Commonwealth had strength as a cross-regional body at a time when the world is regionalising.

Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG)

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) on the Harare Declaration was established as a mechanism for the implementation of the measures set out in the Millbrook Action Programme adopted by the Commonwealth Heads of Government in Auckland in November 1995. The Group's mandate was "to deal with serious or persistent violations" of the principles contained in the Harare Declaration by assessing the nature of the infringement and recommending measures for collective Commonwealth action.

CMAG was to be convened by the Commonwealth Secretary-General and would comprisethe Foreign Ministers of eight countries, supplemented as appropriate by one or two additional minitseiral representatives from the region with which CMAG was concerned. It was decided that the first members of the Group would be the Foreign Ministers of Britain, Canada, Ghana, Jamaica, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The Group agreed that its initial focus would be on the three Commonwealth countries then under military rule - The Gambia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Since December 1995, the Group has held eight meetings. It has undertaken two Ministerial Missions, to The Gambia in June 1996, and to Nigeria in November 1996; the Secretary-General has sent two Secretariat missions to The Gambia and one to Nigeria; and the Group has received 74 written representations, as well as oral presentations from a number of Nigerian, pan-Commonwealth and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

  Australia and the Commonwealth

Support for the Commonwealth continues to be an important element of Australian foreign policy. In earlier days the Commonwealth was seen primarily by Australia as an adjunct to our close relations with Britain. Its chief value to Australia now lies in the opportunity it provides to pursue and promote foreign policy objectives in a multilateral forum, which brings together a broadly representative cross-section of the world's English speaking countries particularly from Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific and Asia.

With a population of 18 million, Australia is among the 10 most populous Commonwealth countries. Its gross domestic product per head of population ($24 773 in 1994) makes it one of the wealthiest. Australia is the third largest donor to the Commonwealth. These factors give Australia a particularly prominent position in the Commonwealth.

Australia has emphasised the role of the Commonwealth as a useful multilateral vehicle, as long as it focuses its activities on areas in which it has genuine comparative advantage. Australia believes that the Commonwealth has an important role to play in the promotion of fundamental political values among its members including, in particular, democratisation, good governance and institution building. We have pointed out that the Commonwealth needs to recognise that issues traditionally central to its activities are no longer so important, and that Australia's interest in the Commonwealth is likely to be increasingly influenced by its relevance to our growing focus on the Asia-Pacific region.

The Commonwealth provides a constituency that Australia has used in building support for Australian foreign policy positions and international candidatures. It also provides a valuable forum for small member states, including those from the Pacific, to express their views on issues on which they might otherwise not be heard.

Australia has played an important part in the Commonwealth reform process, to assist in the phased introduction of program budgeting and associated support systems. We are reasonably satisfied with progress in implementing proposed structural and administrative changes. Although the Secretariat's new Divisional structure does not reflect the organisation's work programs as closely as we would like, we regard positively the restructuring of the Secretariat's senior executive.

The Commonwealth has a useful role to play in promoting good governance among member countries, consistent with the principles in the Harare Declaration and, indeed is already playing a useful role in this regard. We have welcomed the Secretary General's "good offices" role in countries as diverse as Bangladesh, Lesotho, Sierra Leone and Papua New Guinea in recent years. The Commonwealth has a well recognised role in observing elections in a range of countries and sought to ensure that more funds are directed to this type of activity.

Australia encourages the Commonwealth to concentrate on practical efforts where it has a comparative advantage and should not seek to duplicate efforts by other international organisations. Commonwealth funds could usefully be targeted more towards institution building activities in countries which have particular needs. For example, the commendable work of the Commonwealth in developing "best practice" in administrative, judicial, regulatory and other matters; and the Secretary General's ideas for further work on administrative reform in government and the reassessment of existing structures and systems.

Provision of electoral assistance is an important part of Commonwealth work and one in which the Commonwealth has a strong comparative advantage. Australia has been an active participant in providing electoral assistance when called on by the Secretary-General, through the Australian Electoral Commission. Australia has a long history of supporting elections in Commonwealth countries, and electoral assistance projects of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has and is providing significant electoral assistance to a number of Commonwealth countries. The AEC is empowered under paragraph 7(1)(fa) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 to 'provide, in cases approved by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, assistance in matters relating to elections and referendums ... to authorities of foreign countries or to foreign organisations'.

At the 1994 South African elections, we contributed a number of members to the Commonwealth Observer Group, and also provided technical assistance over a lengthy period to the Independent Electoral Commission in the areas of training, election management and overseas voting. In Tanzania, the Deputy Electoral Commissioner served as a member of the Commonwealth Election Observer Mission to the October 1995 election. In Malawi, the Australian Electoral Officer for Tasmania served as a member of the Commonwealth Observer Mission at the May 1994 elections. An AEC officer was deployed in January 1995, under the auspices of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (based in Washington DC), to assist in the development of proposals for the establishment of the Malawian Electoral Commission as a permanent institution.

In June 1995, the AEC's Director of Enrolment took part in a two-week Commonwealth Election Management Programme in Windhoek, Namibia, which was designed to enhance the skills of election managers from Commonwealth countries in Africa. Four AEC officers travelled to Uganda prior to the April 1994 elections, to develop forms, design procedures, and provide general assistance. In addition, the Electoral Commissioner in June 1996 attended the meeting of Chief Electoral Officers of the Commonwealth held in Accra, Ghana, and participated in late 1995 in a meeting for Commonwealth Chief Electoral Officers of Pacific countries in the Solomon Islands.

In 1996, officers of the AEC participated in Commonwealth election observer missions in Bangladesh and Ghana. Most recently, former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser led a Commonwealth election observer mission to Pakistan in February 1997. Australia has also participated in the Commonwealth Observer Mission which monitored the Papua New Guinea elections in June 1997.

For some years the Commonwealth has taken an increasing interest in economic matters. The fact that most members are developing countries gives particular relevance to this Commonwealth interest. Australia takes part in annual meetings of Commonwealth finance ministers, who discuss financial and economic issues including those to be raised at the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Australia is one of the largest financial contributors to the Commonwealth. In the 1996/97 financial year, Australia contributed $2,000,000 to the Commonwealth Secretariat and a further $490 000 to the Commonwealth Foundation. In the same period, Australia contributed $10.6 million to the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation, the Commonwealth Youth Program, the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Program and the Commonwealth of Learning.

Australia contributes about $200 000 a year towards the cost of the Commonwealth Small States Office to the United Nations in New York. The office, managed by the Commonwealth Secretariat, is the result of an Australian initiative taken at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Melbourne in 1981. Originally for Pacific Island countries with minimal or no representation at the United Nations, the office was converted in 1988 into a pan-Commonwealth facility. It enables a significant number of smaller Commonwealth members to ensure their voice is heard in the world forum.

Australia is a major contributor to Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation (CFTC), contributing $6,994,000 in 1996/97.

The CFTC provides technical assistance to Commonwealth developing countries. This includes providing experts to work in key areas of development; training middle-level officials in other Commonwealth countries; advice to governments in such areas as economic and fiscal policy, law, statistics and negotiations with transnational corporations and assistance for governments in launching or upgrading industries.

Australia's cooperation with other Commonwealth countries in health is achieved through conferences and meetings sponsored by the Commonwealth Secretariat. Australia also provides help in other forms to developing countries, in particular through training courses for health professionals from developing countries and through the CFTC.

Education

About 6000 overseas students receive education assistance to study in Australia under the Australian Sponsored Training Scholarship and Australian Development Cooperation Scholarship programs. Over 40 per cent are from Commonwealth countries, mostly from Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Western Samoa.

Australia's universities are members of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), founded in 1913. The vice-chancellors of three Australian universities serve on the ACU Council and Australian universities are represented at ACU congresses held every five years.

Australia contributed $600,000 in the 1996/97 financial year to the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan under which there is a flow of academics and students between Commonwealth countries.

About 45 Australians are studying in other Commonwealth countries at any one time. Australia is supporting about 32 students from Britain, Canada and New Zealand. Over 2000 students from developing countries are being sponsored to study in Australia of whom 22 are specifically under CSFP.

Australia commits over $300 000 a year for programs and projects of direct benefit to the South Pacific and Southern Africa under the Commonwealth of Learning, which was set up in 1988 to establish and coordinate a network of distance learning within the Commonwealth.

Australia also supports the Commonwealth Youth Program (CYP), established in 1974 to promote Commonwealth cooperation in the field of youth. The CYP's current priorities are development of national youth policies, human resource development and youth empowerment, for example encouraging youth participation in policy and program development. In 1996-97 Australia contributed $500,000 to the CYP.

Australia has strongly supported an increased role for the Commonwealth in strengthening democratic processes and protecting human rights in member states, to build on the Commonwealth's commitment to the rule of law and respect for human rights.

The UN Decade of Human Rights commenced in January 1995. Australia has initiated action at the Commonwealth level to develop an Australian program of action for the Decade of Human Rights Education. A Working Group of Commonwealth agencies will be convened to assess what is currently being done and identify areas that require development.

Twenty-nine Commonwealth countries have populations under one million, with 14 of these having less than 200 000 people. Over the past decade, Commonwealth concern has grown for the special needs of these small states. Across the range of its work, the Commonwealth Secretariat has oriented its activities to take account of the special needs of the Commonwealth's smaller countries, with a significant proportion of assistance through the CFTC being directed towards them.

Australia shares in the exchange of legal information and experience among Commonwealth countries and takes part in legal cooperation between developing member countries at government and non-government levels. It is represented at the biennial meetings of Commonwealth law ministers.

Australia is assisting Dominica by providing financial support to enable Justice Einfeld to become a judge (pro tem) of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court for a period of two months commencing February 1997.

The Australian Law Reform Commission attends the triennial Commonwealth Law Conferences and the meetings of Commonwealth law-reform agencies held in conjunction with them. In turn, delegates from other Commonwealth countries are welcome to attend the meetings of Australian law-reform agencies.

Australia supports the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) in Commonwealth-wide and regional activities, through the provision of Regional Secretariats for both the Australian and Pacific regions and through the Commonwealth of Australia Branch of the CPA. CPA branches now exist in 127 national, provincial and territorial parliaments, with a membership of over 12 000 parliamentarians. Australian delegations comprising members of federal and state legislatures attend the annual conferences of the CPA. The last annual conference to be hosted by Australia was in Canberra in September 1988. Australia has offered to host the annual conference in the year 2001 to mark the centenary of the Federation of Australia.

Branches within Australia and Pacific regions conduct biennial parliamentary conferences and seminars in alternate years for delegations from CPA member parliaments in the regions. The Commonwealth of Australia Branch of the CPA, with funding assistance from the CPA Working Capital Fund also sponsors study tours to Australia by members of Pacific Island Parliaments.

In addition, training and equipment support is provided to Pacific Island Parliaments through Australian Federal and State Trust Funds set up for this purpose. The federal, state and territory parliaments take part annually in a regional Presiding Officers' and Clerks' conference which is hosted in Australia every second year. The Parliaments in Australia participate biennially in a Commonwealth-wide Presiding Officers' and Speakers' Conference.

Australia has helped developing Commonwealth countries to improve the performance of their competitors at the Commonwealth Games. The 1991 and 1993 CHOGMs endorsed two major reports on sport and the Commonwealth; a final report of the CHOGM Committee on Cooperation through Sport is to be presented to the Heads of Government in Auckland. The Committee has pointed out the benefits of sport to the Commonwealth in national development and in addressing social, health and equity issues particularly with regard to youth, women and the disadvantaged.

Australia hosted the Commonwealth Games in 1938 in Sydney and in 1962 in Perth. It last hosted the Games in Brisbane in 1982.

Support for the "unofficial Commonwealth" is strong in Australia. Many Australian private groups and professional associations maintain links with similar bodies in other Commonwealth countries directly and through the Commonwealth Foundation. Organisations such as the Royal Commonwealth Society, the Proffesional Centre and the Victoria League for Commonwealth Friendship have active memberships.