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The Commonwealth of Nations: Seven Facts You Might Not Know. When did the British Commonwealth of Nations come into being The Commonwealth of Nations, led by Great Britain, includes 53 countries

At the 1926 Conference of Prime Ministers of Great Britain and the British Dominions, the Balfour Declaration was adopted, in which Great Britain and the Dominions recognized that these states have "equal status and are not dependent on one another in any aspect of their internal or foreign policy, despite their shared loyalty to the Crown and free membership in the British Commonwealth of Nations.

The legal status of the Commonwealth was fixed on December 11, 1931, and until 1947 it was a kind of union of states, each of which was united with Great Britain by a personal union (that is, the British monarch was recognized as the head of the dominions).

Development

Membership in the Commonwealth is open to all countries that recognize the main goals of its activities. There must also be a past or present constitutional relationship between the candidate for accession and the UK or another member of the Commonwealth. Not all members of the organization have direct constitutional ties to Great Britain - some of the South Pacific states were administered by Australia or New Zealand, and Namibia was administered by South Africa. Cameroon became a member of the Commonwealth in 1995. Under British administration was only part of its territory under the mandate of the League of Nations (-) and under the trusteeship agreement with the UN (1946-1961).

There is only one member of the Commonwealth for which this rule has been violated. Mozambique, a former colony of Portugal, was admitted to the Commonwealth after the triumphant re-membership of South Africa and Mozambique's first democratic elections. Mozambique was asked for by its neighbors, all of whom were members of the Commonwealth and wished to help Mozambique overcome the damage done to the economy of this country in connection with its confrontation with the white minority regimes in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and South Africa. The heads of state of the Commonwealth nevertheless decided that the issue of Mozambique should be considered as a special one and not creating a precedent for the future.

Failed membership

Termination of membership

Each Commonwealth country enjoys the unconditional right to unilaterally withdraw from it.

Although the heads of government of Commonwealth member countries have the right to suspend participation selected countries in the work of the Commonwealth bodies, the possibility of exclusion from the Commonwealth is not defined by any documents. At the same time, Commonwealth Realms that declare themselves republics automatically secede from the Commonwealth unless they request other members to remain in the Commonwealth. Ireland did not make such a request, because at the time of its proclamation as a republic in 1949, this rule was still missing. The issue of Ireland joining the Commonwealth has been repeatedly raised, but this proposal does not enjoy support among the local population, which continues to associate the Commonwealth with British imperialism. The Republic of Ireland became the first state to secede from the Commonwealth and not regain its membership.

Suspension from Commonwealth affairs

AT last years there have been several cases of suspension of participation of members of the Commonwealth "in the activities of the Councils of the Commonwealth" (in meetings of leaders and ministers of member countries) for clear violations of democratic norms of governance. This measure does not terminate that state's membership in the Commonwealth.

This measure was taken against Fiji in - and from after the military coup in that country and against Pakistan from to and from November for a similar reason.

Nigeria did not participate in meetings from to . A similar measure was taken in relation to Zimbabwe (the reason was the electoral and land reforms of the government of Robert Mugabe).

Commonwealth structure

Marlborough House, headquarters of the Commonwealth Secretariat

Traditionally, the monarch of Great Britain is proclaimed the head of the Commonwealth, at present, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain is the head of the Commonwealth. As the head of the Commonwealth, she does not perform any formal functions and her role in the day-to-day activities of the organization is only symbolic. In 17 states of the Commonwealth, the monarch of Great Britain is still the de jure head of state, but also does not perform formal functions.

The post of head of the Commonwealth is not a title and is not hereditary. When changing the monarch on the British throne, the heads of government of the Commonwealth member countries will have to make a formal decision on the appointment of a new head of the organization.

The Commonwealth is administered by the Secretariat, which has been headquartered in London since 1965. Since 2008, the head of the Secretariat has been Kamalesh Sharma (India).

The anniversary of the founding of the Commonwealth - Commonwealth Day (Commonwealth Day) - is celebrated in the UK on the second Tuesday of March, and the official name of the department of foreign affairs of the British government (analogous to the Foreign Office) is still the Office of Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (eng. Foreign and Commonwealth Office ).

Diplomatic relations

Commonwealth states maintain ordinary diplomatic relations with each other through high commissioners ( High Commissioners) having the rank of ambassadors. Diplomatic relations between the countries of the Commonwealth and other states are carried out in the usual manner.

Name:

british commonwealth, commonwealth, commonwealth of nations, commonwealth

Flag/Coat of Arms:

Status:

voluntary interstate association of sovereign states

Structural units:

Secretariat

Activity:

The beginning of the Commonwealth was laid by the colonial conference held in London in 1887, at which the foundations of the new colonial policy were fixed: from now on, the most developed colonies were granted the status of dominions - autonomous quasi-state entities (later - virtually independent states), while all of them became part of the British Commonwealth of Nations - an association designed to unite the huge British Empire. These dominions were Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia, New Zealand, Union of South Africa, Newfoundland and Ireland.

At the 1926 Conference of Prime Ministers of Great Britain and the British Dominions, a special declaration was adopted in which Great Britain and the Dominions recognized that these states have "equal status and are not dependent on one another in any aspect of their domestic or foreign policy, despite their common allegiance to the Crown and free membership in the British Commonwealth of Nations.

The legal status of the Commonwealth was enshrined in the Statute of Westminster of December 11, 1931, and until 1947 it was a kind of union of states, each of which was united with Great Britain by a personal union (that is, the British monarch was recognized as the head of the dominions).

Official languages:

English

Participating countries:

Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Batswana, Brunei, Vanuatu, United Kingdom, Guyana, Gambia, Ghana, Dominica, Zambia, India, Cameroon, Canada, Kenya, Cyprus, Kiribati, Lesotho, Mauritania, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua - New Guinea, Rwanda, Samoa, Swaziland, Seychelles, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Tongo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Sri Lanka , Fiji, South Africa, Jamaica

Story:

After the end of World War II, the collapse british empire, caused by the growth of national liberation movements in the British possessions and the financial difficulties of the British government. From 1946 the "British Commonwealth" was simply referred to as the "Commonwealth".

The very independence of India and the establishment of a republican form of government in it (and, consequently, the refusal to recognize the British monarch as head of state) required a radical revision of the foundations of the organization of the Commonwealth. In particular, the name of the organization itself was changed, and humanitarian missions became the priority goals of its activities, educational activities etc. The Commonwealth is viewed primarily as an organization within which states differing in their level of development and the nature of their economies have the opportunity to enter into close and equal interaction.

Burma and Aden, which gained independence in 1948 and 1967 respectively, were the only former British colonies not to become part of the Commonwealth upon independence. Of the former protectorates and mandated territories of the League of Nations, the Commonwealth did not include Egypt (which became independent in 1922), Israel (1948), Iraq (1932), Bahrain (1971), Jordan (1946), Kuwait (1961) and Oman (1971) . The Republic of Ireland left the Commonwealth with the declaration of a republican form of government in 1949. Despite this, according to the Ireland Act 1949, citizens of the Irish Republic have equal status under British law with citizens of Commonwealth countries.

The question of the contradiction between the republican form of government and membership in the Commonwealth was resolved in April 1949 at a meeting of Commonwealth prime ministers in London. India agreed to recognize the British monarch as "the symbol of the free association of the independent member states of the Commonwealth and head of the Commonwealth" from January 1950, when India's declaration of a republic was to take effect. The remaining members of the Commonwealth, for their part, agreed to the retention of India's membership in the organization. At the insistence of Pakistan, it was decided that a similar decision would be made with respect to other states. The Declaration of London is often regarded as the document that marks the beginning of the existence of the Commonwealth in its present form.

Until now, in 16 states that are members of the Commonwealth (in addition to the United Kingdom), the British monarch, represented by the Governor General, is recognized as the head of state. He is also the head of the Commonwealth; this title, however, does not imply any political power over Commonwealth member states and does not automatically apply to the British monarch. Most Commonwealth member states do not recognize the British monarch as head of state. This, however, does not affect their status within the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth is not a political union, and membership in it does not allow the UK to provide any political influence on the other members.

With the growth of the Commonwealth, Britain and the pre-1945 dominions (the name "dominion" fell out of official use in the 1940s) became informally referred to as the "Old Commonwealth" (Old Commonwealth), especially from the 1960s, when disagreements arose. between some of them and the less wealthy members of the Commonwealth among the newly independent states of Africa and Asia. These divisions, which led to accusations of racism and colonialism by the Old, "White" Commonwealth that its interests differed from those of the African members of the organization, arose during the fierce debate over Southern Rhodesia in the 1970s, the imposition of sanctions on South Africa in the 1980s and, more recently, on the need to advance democratic reforms in Nigeria, and later in Zimbabwe. In particular, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe often uses the expression "White Commonwealth" (White Commonwealth), stating that the Commonwealth's attempts to force him to make political changes in the country are in fact manifestations of racism and colonialism on the part of the White Commonwealth, which dominates the Commonwealth of Nations. as such.

Notes:

Mozambique and Rwanda joined the Commonwealth without being former British colonies

The war of the American British colonies for independence ended, as you know, with the victory of the colonies. The British Empire lost 13 colonies, leaving only Canada on the North American continent.

In this regard, the mother country began to form two different points of view on the future policy of Britain in relation to overseas possessions. Supporters of one advocated the expansion of British influence in India and the Far East, while supporters of the second believed that it was certainly necessary to expand influence, but it was necessary to allow the development of self-government in the colonies in order to prevent a repetition of the War of Independence of the North American colonies.

Gradually, reforms began to be carried out, as a result of which the differences became even more obvious between those colonies in which the development of territories was carried out by immigrants from Britain and where there were already prospects for the development of self-government, and those territories where, after the conquest, direct forms of British government were established.

Despite a lot of differences, both those and other colonies, as more or less independent public education with the local government, which had the right to pursue an independent policy.

This approach gave impetus to the development of parliamentary forms of government in the colonies and the ability to establish the rule of law. The latter was greatly facilitated by the spread in English, its use in administrative and educational spheres.

While the mother country was discussing the development of self-government in the colonies, Canada took the initiative in its own hands and in 1837 Upper and Lower Canada revolted. The main demand was to consolidate the rights of colonial self-government, which were first established by the American revolutionaries 60 years ago.

The authorities reacted quite quickly and in 1839 Lord Durham, Governor General of the British North America, proposed to form a government cabinet in the colonies by analogy with the British.

This colonial assembly and responsible to it executive power were given the right to exercise control over internal politics, however, the UK retained the right to a decisive vote in the following areas of colonial policy:

  • control over state lands,
  • form of colonial constitutions,
  • foreign policy,
  • international trade,
  • defense.

All these restrictions were lifted before the end of the First World War.

Development

The term "Commonwealth of Nations" was first used British Prime Minister Lord Roseberry in 1884. The basis of the new colonial policy and the status of the Commonwealth were officially fixed at the colonial conference held in 1887 in London.

The most developed colonies acquired the status of dominions. Now they have become, de jure, autonomous quasi-state entities, and de facto - independent states. However, this did not affect their entry into the British Commonwealth of Nations - an association designed to unite the huge British Empire.


Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia and New Zealand were among the first dominions to emerge, later the Union of South Africa, the Dominion of Newfoundland and Ireland.

One of the most milestones in the history of the Commonwealth was the Second World War. After its completion, or rather, from 1946 from the "British Commonwealth of Nations", this association became simply the "Commonwealth of Nations".

Events in India, which gained independence in 1947 and established on its territory republican form board, prompted a thorough revision of the provisions on the existence of the Commonwealth.

In addition to changing the name, the goals of the association's activities were also adjusted: now humanitarian missions, educational activities, and so on are put at the forefront. Within the framework of the Commonwealth, states with different levels of development and the nature of their economies got the opportunity to cooperate at a new level as equal partners.

According to the new agreements, each of the Commonwealth countries has the unconditional right to unilaterally withdraw from the organization.

Participating countries

The Commonwealth today includes 17 countries (not counting the UK), which are also called the Commonwealth Realms. Total population The population of the Commonwealth countries is about 1.8 billion, which is approximately 30% of the total population of the planet. Formally, the head of these states is recognized as the British monarch, who is represented by the Governor General.

This does not prevent most of the participating countries from not recognizing the authority of the British crown, which in no way affects their status within the Commonwealth. It is not originally political organization and therefore Great Britain has no right to interfere in the politics of its participants.

Not all countries that are part of the Commonwealth today had colonial ties with the British Empire. Mozambique was the first of these countries to join the organization. The Commonwealth has never included: Burma and Aden, Egypt, Israel, Iraq, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman. There were cases of secession from the Commonwealth (Zimbabwe), including with the subsequent restoration of membership. For example, this was the case with Pakistan, South Africa.

Structure of the British Commonwealth

The head of the Commonwealth of Nations is the British monarch, today this post is occupied by Elizabeth II. The post of head of the Commonwealth is not a title and is not hereditary. When the monarch changes, the heads of government of the Commonwealth member countries will have to make a formal decision on the appointment of a new head of the organization.

Administrative direction is provided by the Secretariat, which has been headquartered in London since 1965. Since 2008, the Commonwealth Secretariat has been headed by Kamalesh Sharma (India).

  • Free electronic encyclopedia Wikipedia, section "Commonwealth of Nations".
  • Free electronic encyclopedia Wikipedia, section "British Empire".
  • Free electronic encyclopedia Wikipedia, section "Overseas territories".
  • Great Soviet Encyclopedia
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The content of the article

COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS, association of independent states formerly part of the British Empire, recognizing the British monarch as a symbol of free unity. The Commonwealth includes (at the beginning of 1999): Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Republic of South Africa, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Malaysia, Singapore, Cyprus, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Cameroon, Mozambique, Namibia, Malawi, Malta, Gambia, Botswana , Guyana, Lesotho, Barbados, Mauritius, Swaziland, Nauru, Tonga, Western Samoa, Fiji, Bangladesh, Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Kiribati, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Zimbabwe, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, Maldives, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Brunei, Vanuatu.

STORY

Empire to Commonwealth.

Control of public lands in the colonies quickly passed to local governments, who won the right to make their own constitutions and judicial systems. As early as 1859, Canada began setting its own tariffs, limiting Britain's control over foreign trade.

Less noticeable was progress in foreign affairs and defense. Although, over time, Great Britain recognized the need to consult with the Dominions on matters of foreign policy, she still retained her right to a decisive vote here. The British fleet continued to protect the empire as a whole, but ground troops were withdrawn from self-governing colonies that assumed the functions of self-defense.

Thus, in the colonies, the tendency to expand the sphere of responsibility in matters of local government was strengthened, which was accompanied by the growth of national self-awareness. The merger of the colonies into larger territorial entities also required greater independence in domestic politics. In 1867, the provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick united to form the Dominion of Canada (formally, Canada was considered a confederation). The six Australian colonies formed the Commonwealth of Australia in 1900. In 1910 the four South African colonies formed the Union of South Africa.

At the end of the 19th century the empire established two important institutions to maintain contact between Britain and the self-governing colonies. In 1879 the government of Canada appointed a high commissioner to protect the interests of the country in London. The British government refused to give him the status of an ambassador, but an important precedent was nevertheless set, and other colonies also appointed high commissioners. In 1887 the government of Great Britain invited the governments of the self-governing colonies to send delegates to the colonial conference in London. Meetings of this kind were held periodically in the following decades, and from 1907 they became known as imperial conferences; it was decided that subsequent meetings should be held with the participation of the Prime Minister of Great Britain and the Prime Ministers of the self-governing colonies. At the imperial conference of 1926 such colonies received official name dominions.

Evolution of the Commonwealth.

World War I was a turning point in the development of the Commonwealth. Great Britain declared war on behalf of the entire empire without consulting the colonies; however, the dominions were still represented in imperial military cabinets and conferences. The resolution of the imperial conference of 1917 recognized that the dominions were vested with the right to vote in deciding the foreign policy of the empire and that further cooperation would be carried out on the basis of "permanent consultations and joint actions." Based on this, carried out general course foreign policy both during the war and at the conclusion of peace. The new orientation towards the relative independence of the dominions in foreign policy received symbolic expression in the act of signing the Treaty of Versailles by the dominions and India.

The nature of the association has changed along with the status of its members. The term "Commonwealth of Nations", first used in 1884, became widespread from 1917, denoting the association of Great Britain, Canada, the Union of South Africa, the Commonwealth of Australia, New Zealand and Newfoundland (which lost dominion status in 1933 as a result of the economic crisis, and in 1949 became the tenth province of Canada). At the Imperial Conference of 1926, the famous Balfour formula was proposed, which defined the dominions as "autonomous communities of the British Empire, equal in status, in no way subordinate to one another in any aspect of their domestic or foreign policy, but at the same time united by a common commitment to the crown and constituents free association of members of the British Commonwealth of Nations. This principle was approved by the Statute of Westminster of 1931, adopted by the British Parliament at the request of the Dominions. The Statute essentially fixed the existing state of affairs, legally securing the equality of the British Parliament and the Parliaments of the Dominions; the legislation of each dominion was recognized as independent and had sovereign force. External relations also became an area of ​​sovereign decision for each dominion. In addition, the document stipulated that henceforth the order of succession to the throne of Great Britain would be regulated by members of the Commonwealth.

During the interwar period, the dominions put forward demands for complete independence, which made it impossible to develop a common foreign policy outlined at the imperial conferences during the First World War, although consultations continued on a regular basis. The reaction of the dominions to the British declaration of war in 1939 showed that they were free to choose their course of action. The parliaments of the Commonwealth of Australia and New Zealand expressed their full support for Great Britain and, together with her, on September 3, 1939, declared war on the Axis. Canada entered the war on its own, six days after Great Britain. There was a split in the Union of South Africa on this issue, and the country's parliament only voted by a small majority in favor of declaring war. The Irish Free State remained neutral.

In 1947 India was divided into two independent states: India and Pakistan. In 1949, India proclaimed itself a republic, thus marking a new step in the evolution of the Commonwealth. India expressed a desire to remain in the Commonwealth, although Balfour's condition of a common commitment to the crown as a republic no longer suited her. At the 1949 Prime Ministers' Conference, India adopted the British monarch as the symbol of free association of member states and as head of the Commonwealth, a title that was never clearly defined. With this wording, other members of the Commonwealth began to proclaim themselves as republics. After 1947, the term "dominion" fell into disuse, as it no longer corresponded to the status of those members of the Commonwealth who refused to recognize the British monarch as head of state.

In 1960, in a referendum held by the government of the Union of South Africa, which consisted mainly of members of the Afrikaner National Party, the white population (only they participated in the referendum) voted by a small majority for a republic, which was proclaimed in May 1961. To remain in the Commonwealth, South - The African Republic has asked other members for its recognition. This caused a sharp reaction, especially from the countries - members of the Commonwealth with non-white populations, who condemned the system of apartheid and white domination in South Africa. As a result, the Prime Minister of South Africa H. Verwoerd withdrew his country's application for continued membership in the Commonwealth. In 1994, a new democratic government requested that the country be restored to the Commonwealth, and this request was granted.

After 1945 the character of the Commonwealth changed significantly. When India became a republic, but at the same time remained within the association, doubts about the compatibility of national independence with membership in the Commonwealth finally disappeared. The Commonwealth is now a multilingual, multiracial and multicultural community.

COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS

Commonwealth has always been open organization, even in the past, when it included ethnically homogeneous colonies. In the period between the two world wars, the inhabitants of the Dominions and Great Britain were connected by a common origin, citizenship, language, adherence to the British crown, a common heritage in the form of political institutions of the British model, the type of education, as well as close economic ties.

Between 1947 and 1978, 34 new members were admitted to the Commonwealth, and one state, Pakistan, withdrew from it. The majority were African and Asian countries, with predominantly local population and the dominance of non-European cultures. The informal rules of membership changed accordingly. Former English colonies, having gained independence, did not automatically become members of the Commonwealth, but entered into it with the consent of other members. The British monarch had to be recognized as a symbol of free association, and some members of the Commonwealth had to reckon with this even if they became republics. None of the requirements were considered binding anymore, and no damage to the sovereignty of the member countries was allowed. However, some of the former colonies, having become independent states, decided not to join the Commonwealth - for example, British Somalia, which became part of the state of Somalia, South Cameroon, which became part of the state of Cameroon, Sudan, Burma, the Emirates of the Persian Gulf.

With the simplification of the procedure for joining the Commonwealth, some of the old ties have disappeared, others have changed in accordance with the status and needs of new members.

constitutional connections.

The Commonwealth has no constitution, and in international law it doesn't count single organization. However, the constitutions of Canada, Australia, Sri Lanka, Jamaica, New Zealand, Barbados, Mauritius, Bahamas, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the United Kingdom recognize the British monarch as the official head of state. In each of these states (except Great Britain), the monarch is represented by a governor-general, who occupies a position in relation to the government similar to that of the monarch in Great Britain. Republics are usually led by presidents, but Malaysia, Swaziland, Tonga and Lesotho are independent monarchies. These states do not express allegiance to the British monarch, but recognize him as head of the Commonwealth.

Legal Committee Privy Council- the last instance for appeals of countries - members of the Commonwealth. However, many countries, including Canada and Australia, do not apply to this authority.

citizenship and nationality.

Although the UK and some countries recognize potential Commonwealth immigrants as having the general status of British subjects or "Commonwealth citizens", all of these countries currently have restrictions on immigration from other Commonwealth countries. In the past, the UK has hosted all Commonwealth citizens. But in 1962, under British law, restrictions were imposed on immigration from the West Indies, and in 1968 a quota was determined for the entry into England of persons of Asian origin living in Kenya. Thereafter, the benefits of common citizenship in the Commonwealth became questionable, and the factor of citizenship lost its importance as a link.

legacy of British rule.

The internal unity of the countries of the Commonwealth is still to be found in political institutions British type, in the continuity of forms of education, in expanding the scope of the English language, especially in management, secondary and higher education.

However, the situation is changing. In republics and even in some countries that recognize the British monarch as head of state, the Westminster model has undergone radical changes. In most Afro-Asian countries, completely different socio-political conditions have developed than in Great Britain - and, accordingly, different state institutions. Some of these countries have become essentially one-party states or military oligarchies. In some cases, they did not escape politicization and civil services, although their structure itself retains traces of British origin.

Economic ties.

After the First World War, Great Britain took the path of protectionism; At the 1932 imperial conference in Ottawa, a system of preferential discounts in intra-imperial trade was developed, linking together all British colonies and dominions. In the late 1930s, Canada began to pursue its own trade policy, and after World War II, the United States became its main market and source of capital inflows. But the preferential customs tariffs established in Ottawa continued to stimulate trade between Great Britain and other members of the Commonwealth. Attempts to introduce free trade after the Second World War, for example, relying on General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade(GATT), which did not at all hinder the search for new trading partners, in fact, could not abolish the existing system of preferences within the Commonwealth.

Britain's entry into Common Market in 1973 led to the elimination of most benefits within the Commonwealth, as Britain began to introduce Common Market tariffs. Nevertheless, in the 1960s, many Commonwealth countries, anticipating this course of events, tried to protect themselves by diversifying their markets. Partly for this reason, and partly because of the uncompetitiveness of British exports in the 1960s, some Commonwealth countries reduced trade with Great Britain, which was disproportionately large due to the insignificant mutual trade between these states. As exports declined, British imports from the Commonwealth countries also fell, which was caused by the country's inconsistent policy in dealing with the difficulties associated with the imbalance of payments. Between 1949 and 1969, the share of British imports (by value) from the Commonwealth fell from 36% to 23%, and the share of British exports to the Commonwealth fell from 36% to 22%.

Previously, being in the sterling zone was an important link between the Commonwealth countries (with the exception of Canada, which moved to the dollar zone). These countries are used to keeping most of their financial reserves in English currency, use the pound for settlements and tie their currencies to it. However, in 1967, after the devaluation of the British pound sterling, most of the Commonwealth member countries did not depreciate their national currencies, and when the pound fell further in the early 1970s, many of them began to hold their reserves in other currencies. As a result, the area of ​​action of the British pound began to disintegrate by 1973, and the entry of Great Britain into the Common Market completed this process.

For the Commonwealth countries, the UK remains the main partner in bilateral technical cooperation, the main source of economic assistance and investment. The Colombo plan, which provides for the creation of multilateral funds for economic and technical assistance to less developed countries South-East Asia not limited to the Commonwealth. There is also a targeted plan for assistance to the African countries of the Commonwealth.

political institutions.

The nature of the Commonwealth institutions is intended to emphasize the freedom of ties between countries. The Prime Ministers' Conferences (periodic meetings of the heads of government of the member countries of the Commonwealth) retain continuity with the former imperial conferences, representing the most effective institution of cooperation. These meetings are informal, although joint communiqués are issued after they are completed. As a rule, conferences produce formal decisions only on the question of membership in the Commonwealth. Even in the case when the conference determines the general course, the decision regarding its implementation is made by each state independently. No mechanism is provided for inducing any of the Commonwealth countries to act contrary to their interests.

High Commissioners with the rank of ambassadors at first provided only two-way channels of communication between Great Britain and its former colonies, and now they also perform mediation functions between some other independent countries- Members of the Commonwealth. The High Commissioners meet periodically in London with British Foreign Office officials to discuss issues of mutual interest. The Commonwealth Coordination Department provides all its members with relevant information.

Although each of the member countries individually is responsible for the state of its defense, constant consultations are also held in this area. Security issues are often discussed at prime ministerial conferences, military leaders exchange visits and convene their annual conferences. There is also the Commonwealth Defense Advisory Committee, which conducts military exercises, provides for the exchange of staff members, technical specialists, and retrains personnel.

Commonwealth member countries have established institutions for the exchange of information on economic issues, including the Economic Advisory Council of the Commonwealth, consisting of ministers of economy and ministers of finance from different countries.

Other Advisory Joint Bodies - Council for air transport Commonwealth, Scientific and Research Organizations, Commonwealth Scientific Committee. Additional links are Commonwealth Press Union, Commonwealth Broadcasting Conference, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

At the Commonwealth Conference, held in November 1999 in Durban (South Africa), it was decided to introduce the post of chairman of the Commonwealth. It becomes the head of the government of the country organizing the conference, at the moment it is the president of South Africa Thabo Mbeki. The Chairman of the Commonwealth performs a representative role, primarily in relations with intergovernmental organizations in the period between conferences of heads of government, which are held once every two years. Thabo Mbeki will lead a presidential panel tasked with "redefining the Commonwealth's role and making recommendations on how the association can meet the challenges of the 21st century."

The Presidential Group, which will also define the mandate of the Ministerial Action Group (SMAG), includes 10 other heads of state and government, including the British Prime Minister, the Presidents of Zimbabwe and Tanzania. She is to report to the next Commonwealth Conference to be held in Sydney in 2001.

COMMONWEALTH AND WORLD

Each country - a member of the Commonwealth is fully independent in pursuing its foreign policy. All of them are included in UN, but never formed their blocs in this organization. The UK and older members of the Commonwealth tend to vote jointly with the US, while Afro-Asian states are more likely to be neutral.

The countries of the Commonwealth are members of organizations that unite states that are not members of it. For example, the UK and Canada are members North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO); Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand were members Southeast Asia Treaty Organization(SEATO) until its dissolution in 1977. African members of the Commonwealth are members of the Organization of African Unity.

At present, membership in the Commonwealth does not impose special obligations even on Great Britain. While not possessing power prerogatives, Great Britain nevertheless cherishes its symbolic prestige as the head of the Commonwealth and the oldest member of the organization. Other countries are content with the benefits of sustained cooperation.

Literature:

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Krushinsky V.Yu. The Commonwealth of Nations and the Problem of the Elimination of the Racist-Colonial Regime in Southern Africa. – Bulletin of Kiev University. Series " International relationships", vol. 31. Kyiv, 1990
Ostapenko G.S. British Conservatives and Decolonization. M., 1995
New data. – Nezavisimaya Gazeta, October 29, 1997