Thoughts on a charter of the Commonwealth.

AuthorHiebert, Russ

At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, Australia in October 2011, the leaders agreed to study the possibility of a Commonwealth Charter. The Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, John Baird, subsequently asked the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade to do a consultation and report on the feasibility and advisability of the proposed Charter. The following article is an extract from the Senate hearings.

**********

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association provides a valuable means through which legislators in Commonwealth countries can consult each other on a regular basis, foster cooperation and mutual understanding, and promote good parliamentary practice. The CPA works to promote and enhance parliamentary democracy by building knowledge and understanding of democratic governance among Commonwealth countries. It organizes conference, seminars and workshops, publishes and disseminates parliamentary information, promotes effective management of legislatures and encourages the exchange of knowledge and skills among its members.

Canadian parliamentarians play a strong role in carrying out this educational mandate. As one the Commonwealth's relatively older parliamentary democracies, we have the ability to share our experiences, successes and challenges with emerging and developing democracies.

The richness of Canada's experience as a parliamentary democracy allows our legislators to share their insights on a broad spectrum of issues, helping other Parliaments to make well thought out and effective decisions. Now I would like to turn to the development of the draft charter we are currently considering.

The latest meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government took place in Perth, Australia in October of 2011, and I accompanied the Prime Minister to that meeting. In Perth, it was agreed that a charter of the Commonwealth be established. The Commonwealth has no constitution per se, and as such its core principles and values have been set out in a number of different documents. Forty years ago the purpose of the Commonwealth was outlined in the 1971 Singapore Declaration as being to promote world peace and support the United Nations, individual liberty and egalitarianism, opposition to racism, opposition to colonialism, the eradication of poverty, ignorance, disease and economic inequality, free trade, institutional cooperation, multilateralism and the rejection of international coercion.

Twenty...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT