Commonwealth stays true to origins

2009/12/01

Fauziah Ismail in Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago)

A commentary in a local newspaper here had headlined the Commonwealth as An 'Old Boys Club' headed by an old lady. But the 54-country grouping (with Rwanda as the latest inclusion) with the Queen of England as its leader had for the past 60 years of its existence shaped the international response to emerging global challenges.

Queen Elizabeth II, in opening the 20th meeting, described Commonwealth’s diamond anniversary year this year as an important time for the Commonwealth to look back – and, more importantly, look forward.

“In doing so, I believe we can be pleased with how far the Commonwealth has come in its 60 years, and yet how true it has remained to its origins.

“But this does not mean we should become complacent or rest on past successes. Like any good organisation, we must continue to pay close attention to the things that give it distinctive character,” she said.

The British monarch said one of the core strengths of the Commonwealth lies in the commitment to common goals and values.

“Our shared pledge to 'the pursuit of peace, liberty and progress' that my father helped to enshrine in the London Declaration in 1949 means as much today as it did then.

“We cherish freedom, democracy and development as dearly as ever. Few other global organisations can boast the same rich diversity of humankind and yet also such a commonality of spirit.”

She stressed, however, it is not enough to look within the boundaries of the Commonwealth. In a world where political, economic and environmental problems and opportunities cross continents, the Commonwealth will also need to prove its relevance beyond its own borders and develop a truly global perspective.

The Queen may be the only one in CHOGM’s history to have attended all the meetings, even if only for the opening ceremonies.

For Datuk Seri Najib Razak, this meeting was his first. And the prime minister left for home impressed with what had been achieved in the three days that the leaders met.

“There are many skeptics out there who continue to ask the question whether the Commonwealth is still relevant as an institution.

“I, for one, came here with any open mind. It is my first CHOGM. This CHOGM has truly answered that the Commonwealth as an institution is very much relevant because it is still able to meet and face the global challenges.

“The spirit of the Commonwealth is still alive. The Commonwealth values are still dear to our hearts. There is so much camaraderie and friendship in the Commonwealth. I go home with that feeling,” he said.

Najib, who was given the honour of giving his assessment of CHOGM at a concluding press conference, described this year’s meeting as successful with regards to climate change.

He participated actively in the debate at the special session on climate change which also saw the presence of French president Nicholas Sarkozy, Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki Moon. In fact, Rasmussen has extended an invitation to Najib for the Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change on Dec 7.

Leaders acknowledged that the threat to the environment is not a new concern but it is now a global challenge which will continue to affect the security and stability of millions for years to come.

The small island states, low-lying coastal states and least developed countries face the greatest challenges following the global climate change, yet they contributed the least to the problem.

And the Commonwealth platform is the best to address the matter as it represents a third of the world’s population and more than one quarter of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Malaysia made three recommendations which were then endorsed in the “Port of Spa in Climate Change Consensus: The Commonwealth Climate Change Declaration”.

Malaysia had recommended for a legally binding agreement out of the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen next week.

It also asked that the proposed funding under the Copenhagen Launch Fund for the small island states be in the form of grants instead of low-rate loans and that there be minimal regulations for the disbursement of the fund.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) will set up a working group to look into further refining and strengthening its work scope to enable it to be more effective.

The working group will consult other member states and make proposals to the wider membership.

CMAG currently comprises foreign minister of nine Commonwealth countries.

At its meeting here chaired by Anifah, CMAG also agreed on modalities for convening meetings to improve its responsiveness in urgent situations.

The group noted the need to play a more active role in dealing with serious and persistent violations of the Harare Principles in member states, rather than confine itself to situations involving the unconstitutional overthrow of elected governments.

“We recommend that Heads of Governments give further consideration to ensure all organizations in the Commonwealth family respect and support fundamental values of Commonwealth, including decisions of CMAG,” he said.