FEBRUARY 2011

The Eminent Person's Group examining the Commownealth is due to release its draft report between early and mid 2011. Below is The Commonwealth Association's response to its questionnaire sent out in 2010:

Commonwealth Association Response to EPG Questionnaire

Sharpen impact

1.       Values-based organisation. The EPG recognises that the Affirmation of Commonwealth Values and Principles signals strongly the Commonwealth's purpose as a values-based organisation, and is exploring how Commonwealth activities and networks could be directed towards upholding and supporting more effectively its values and principles and the moral authority deriving from them. What practical measures do you think could help to do this?

It is an admirable gesture on the part of the Commonwealth to adopt a set of guiding principles and its reaffirmation in Trinidad and Tobago is clearly intended to send a message that it will be rigorous in upholding these values and principles. But the core values can be seen as a reiteration of the prevailing mantras of the international community, and there is a widespread perception among the general public that the Commonwealth is not doing enough to embed these values in its member states.   The basic dilemma facing the Commonwealth is that it appears to promote democracy and human rights but it does not take strong action against member states which have clearly infringed its principles. A key part of the solution must lie in re-vitalising CMAG and extending its terms of reference.

The Commonwealth must not only promote good practice to embed its principles and values in the governance and practices of its member countries, but it must publicly state when there are gross infringements and take action to redress any infringements. 

2.       Commonwealth strengths. Which key strengths of the Commonwealth do you utilise in your work?

The key strengths of the Commonwealth which have been helpful lie in easy understanding of the way it operates, its facility to bring people together at all levels and to agree on consensual decisions, together with a willingness to cooperate for the common good. As an organisation of former employees of the Secretariat, Foundation and other Commonwealth organisations, these attributes are particularly important to our work.

3.       Financial resources. The EPG has discussed the levels of financial resources available to the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation and the Commonwealth Secretariat's assessed budget, as well as to the Foundation and COL. What are your views on this? 

The Commonwealth Association takes the view that all these organisations are underfunded. Attempts to revise the levels of contribution by member countries have not obviously changed this situation. There is a perception that some member countries are unwilling to increase contributions to these budgets because they are not convinced that they will be getting value for money. Similarly, because contributions - and certainly increases - are largely discretionary, they are ranked on a lower priority than more pressing (particularly mandatory) financial requests. But there is still a huge area of developmental activities which Commonwealth action could pioneer and where member countries could derive much greater benefit from their membership if they were prepared to take their membership responsibilities seriously. It is incumbent on the EPG to make recommendations to bring this about. In particular, the EPG should take into account that the CFTC has always provided excellent value for money, and consulted and worked with member states to provide services which they deemed to be important for their development.

At the same time, does the Commonwealth make proper use of the expert human resources it has at its disposal, either on a low-cost or voluntary basis? The experience of the Commonwealth Association, whose members constitute just such a resource, suggests not.

Strengthen networks

4.       Interaction with inter-governmental Commonwealth. What is your experience of interacting with the inter-governmental Commonwealth (the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Commonwealth Foundation and the Commonwealth of Learning) and what changes would you like to see in this regard?

Relationships with both the Secretariat and the Foundation are generally good but there is no doubt that much more could be done if both organisations adopted a more flexible and open attitude to joint working and partnerships. There is no doubt that both these organisations' activities with NGOs have become more constrained because of their chronic lack of funds and staff. As regards COL, it has little profile as far as many Commonwealth organisations are concerned and this is unfortunate.

5.       Ministerial Meetings. There are reforms in hand to strengthen the value and relevance of Ministerial meetings. Given the time constraints for dialogue at CHOGMs and Ministerial Meetings, one suggestion is to establish alternatively structured and dedicated exchanges between civil society members and a geographical and otherwise representative group of Ministers with reports being submitted to CHOGM for consideration and action. What are your views on this?

The need for reform is paramount. We support the view that both CHOGMs and Ministerial meetings have a prime purpose in the opportunities they afford these groups of leaders and ministers, who have huge responsibilities, to get together, discuss their problems and obtain ideas which might help them resolve difficult issues. Making this primary purpose work effectively should be the principal objective. At the same time, the Commonwealth is an association of peoples as well as governments and the EPG should build on best practice, both at the CHOGM and at certain ministerial meetings, where dialogue with civil society has worked well and productively. Equally, there are examples where this has not been particularly effective and where the arrangements may have discouraged Ministers from attending. It could be that a new mechanism of a representative group or groups of ministers would be useful in engaging with regional and national NGOs on issues which are relevant to their concerns but we do not believe that reports from these dialogues should necessarily be submitted to the CHOGM, if not relevant to its proceedings. In any case, such new arrangements should supplement best practice and not supplant it. The CHOGM should deal with issues which are pan-Commonwealth and which require collective Commonwealth action such as the Climate discussions in Trinidad and Tobago. The failure of the Commonwealth to follow through at Copenhagen was regrettable and denied the organisation a unique opportunity to make its mark at a major international gathering.

6. Interaction between Commonwealth organisations. What is your experience of interaction with other non-governmental Commonwealth organisations, and what changes would you like to see in this regard?

The experience has been positive but limited mainly to London-based NGOs. There should be an attempt to build truly pan-Commonwealth organisations to deal with the core issues as set out in the Affirmation statement. More financial support should be given to build up strong groups dealing with human rights and governance issues, gender equality, legal and parliamentary matters, and the media as the protector of such freedoms as the free flow of information. These are the pillars of a modern society and they require a pan-Commonwealth approach.

7. Strategic partnerships. The Secretariat pursues strategic partnerships, including with diverse partners outside the Commonwealth in order to advance the Commonwealth's fundamental values. What partnerships do you think the inter-governmental bodies could pursue, and what lessons have you learned from your organisation's strategic partnerships?

The Commonwealth Association supports the development of relationships and strategic partnerships beyond the Commonwealth's boundaries. This is not new - the Commonwealth has worked in the past with Nordic countries, Japan and the USA, for example, on both developmental and political projects, as well as with the Francophonie and the European Union. The Commonwealth has a facility for connection and networks of influence which make it an attractive partner and more should be done in this regard.

As regards the CA, it has recently concluded strategic partnerships with other international groups which has resulted in some half-million pounds being devoted to an issue of prime importance not only for the Commonwealth but the entire international community. Sometimes in is important for the unofficial Commonwealth to act with others internationally where the official Commonwealth is unable, or unwilling to act, such as on Zimbabwe. The lesson learned is that it is in the best interests of the Secretariat and the Commonwealth that it should actively promote these partnerships with its civil society partners and with the UN system and the large international funding organisations.

Raise profile

8. Profile. The EPG discussed ways in which the profile of the Commonwealth can be strengthened building on the organisation's core and unique strengths. In your view, what measures might be taken to raise the Commonwealth's profile? 

It is primarily the duty of the Secretariat to promote the Commonwealth to the world. It is situated in London, possibly the world's leading media centre, and it must cultivate close relations with media representatives based here. Issuing press releases and placing material on a website is not enough because everyone is doing this. One important element is the need to develop close personal relationships with important journalists. They should be fed information of interest to their readers and this information should be tailored to meet their needs.   It is an age-old technique, which the Secretariat now lacks and it must recruit the right staff to undertake this key responsibility.

However, the responsibility is not the Secretariat's alone. All member governments, and all Commonwealth organisations, have a duty to promote the wider organisation, its values and programmes, within their particular areas of influence.

9. Media resources. What challenges do you face in raising your own organisation's profile, and what support, training or resources (if any) do you think could be provided or shared? 

The main challenge is that we do not undertake many newsworthy activities. When we do, we try to place the material with the news outlet which will be interested in it. However, we do need help with access to up-to-date databases of Commonwealth media organisations and representatives and it would be most helpful if the Secretariat could share this valuable information with us. On occasions this access has been specifically denied, even when a partner has been working on a joint programme with the Secretariat.

On training, there is no doubt that much more could be done by sharing expertise and promoting opportunities available to Commonwealth organisations generally.

10. Chairperson-in-Office. The Chairperson-in-Office has a remit to host CHOGM and to promote the Commonwealth in other international organisations and arenas. The Head of the Commonwealth and the Secretary-General are others who have leadership and profile-raising roles. What changes or enhancements might be envisaged? 

The institution of Chairperson-in-office has not worked particularly well. Perhaps it is unrealistic to expect that a head of Government will have the time or inclination to speak up on behalf of the Commonwealth. There is also the danger that if the chairperson's country becomes the centre of an international scandal e.g. Uganda and the anti-gay law before its Parliament at the time of the last CHOGM, that this will be used to deride the idea of the Commonwealth. It is paradoxical that the Head of the Commonwealth, in a number of important respects, has shown greater leadership and willingness to engage than the Chairperson. All Heads of Government have a duty to provide Commonwealth leadership, in particular in areas where they have the status and leverage to do so. The Commonwealth Association feels strongly that the Secretary-General should be given primary responsibility to speak on behalf of the Commonwealth and to remind the world of the basic Commonwealth principles, even at the risk of offending some member states. It should be his duty to raise the profile of the Commonwealth by using every opportunity to let the world know of the excellent work the Commonwealth is jointly undertaking and to be creative in publicising its achievements. In that task, he (or she) needs the help of all Commonwealth stakeholders.

11.   Member governments. What practical steps could member governments take to raise the profile of the Commonwealth association?

Member Governments should try harder to inform their citizens that they value the association. Few of them celebrate Commonwealth Day which is a marvellous opportunity for a member country to demonstrate its commitment to the association. It also gives schoolchildren chance to undertake national projects relating to the Commonwealth, which have the possibility of engaging the attention of the media in their countries. There is a need now for the EPG to confront the fact that today's leaders seem lukewarm in their support for the idea of the Commonwealth and take little action to promote it in their countries. It is essential that leaders should take positive action to encourage greater public support for and knowledge of the Commonwealth in their countries .

Other

12. General remarks. Please provide any general comments or specific recommendations that you would like to share with the Eminent Persons Group.

The Commonwealth Association's membership consists of former members of staff of the inter-governmental and other Commonwealth organisations and they are passionate in their support for th is association of states and peoples. They believe that the CA is an underused resource which can help the Commonwealth achieve its objectives. The Commonwealth has been most successful, in terms of commanding international attention, when its members come together to deal with big issues which are of concern to all its peoples.   It does not believe that it should continue to limit itself to the UN agenda - it must also develop its own agenda which sets it apart.

 ________________________________________________________________________________