Eight governments came together in London in 1949 to form the modern Commonwealth.
Australia, Canada, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and the United Kingdom declared themselves to be “united as free and equal members” co-operating together in the pursuit of peace, liberty and progress.
More than six decades later, 54 nations today make up the Commonwealth of Nations. The latest member, Rwanda, joined in November 2009.
Bound together by common values, including respect for diversity, human rights, democracy and good governance, Commonwealth governments are committed to guard against poverty, ignorance and ill-health and reduce disparities of gender and wealth.
For further information on the Commonwealth’s values and principles see the 2009 Trinidad and Tobago Affirmation.
Alongside the Commonwealth Foundation, two other organisations make up the intergovernmental nucleus of the Commonwealth:
Commonwealth Secretariat – Supporting governments through technical assistance, advice and policy development, the Commonwealth Secretariat, also founded in 1965, is responsible for executing the collective will of Commonwealth governments. Headed by Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma, the Secretariat acts as an ‘honest broker’ and consensus builder between member governments.
Commonwealth of Learning – From its base in Vancouver, Canada, the Commonwealth of Learning promotes the development of open learning and distance education. Established in 1989, the Commonwealth of Learning assists developing countries in improving access to quality education and training.