Commonwealth of Nations in International Relations. commonwealth of nations and dependencies of great britain commonwealth of great britain composition

COUNTRY TYPOLOGY. FORMS OF GOVERNMENT

BRITISH COMMONWEALTH

States within the Commonwealth . This is - special form state structure in member countries of the Commonwealth (British), which recognize the head of state of the Queen of Great Britain.

In 1931, Great Britain, which began to lose dependent territories, united its former and present colonies as part of the British Commonwealth of Nations, since 1947 it became known as the Commonwealth.

By the beginning of 2007, the Commonwealth included 53 independent states and territories dependent on Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand, in which 1.7 billion people lived (30% of the world population).

The head of the Commonwealth is the Queen of Great Britain. Most member countries of the Commonwealth republics (32), 6 - monarchies(Brunei, Lesotho, Malaysia, Swaziland, Samoa, Tonga), 16 countries recognize the Queen of Great Britain as head of state, that is, they are formally constitutional monarchies. The Commonwealth includes formally equal countries, but differing in level economic development, ethnic, religious composition of the population.

Member countries of the Commonwealth have single state language- English, similar systems of legislation, education, public service. All states that are members of the Commonwealth have full sovereignty in their internal and foreign affairs. Commonwealth does not have a single constitution, no union-treaty agreements, no official attributes; it does not act in the international arena (for example, in the UN, in any international actions, etc.). The decisions of its annual conferences are not valid for a country that did not vote for them.

Members of the Commonwealth may be excluded from its composition for actions contrary to the charter (military coups, violation of human rights, civil wars ), and also have an unconditional right of unilateral exit. So, in 1972, the Commonwealth withdrew Pakistan, was re-admitted in 1989, expelled in 1999 and re-admitted in 2004. In 1961, expelled for the policy of apartheid South Africa, which re-entered in 1994. Fiji was expelled in 1987, membership was renewed in 1997, suspended in 2006, expelled in 1995 Nigeria, then re-adopted in 1999, excluded in 2002 by Zimbabwe.

The Commonwealth finances and organizes international protection programs for its members environment, education, scientific and technical cooperation, takes measures to increase mutual trade, etc.

Member countries of the British Commonwealth

№	Countries - members of the Commonwealth	head of state	Year of entry	Notes
1.	Antigua and Barbuda	Queen Elizabeth II	1981
2.	Australia	Queen Elizabeth II	1931	Dependent Territories: Fr. Norfolk, Territory of the Coral Sea Islands, Heard and McDonald Islands, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, about. Christmas, Ashmore and Cartier Islands
3.	Bahamas	Queen Elizabeth II	1973
4.	Bangladesh	The president	1972
5.	Barbados	Queen Elizabeth II	1966
6.	Belize	Queen Elizabeth II	1981
7.	Botswana	The president	1966
8.	Brunei	Sultan	1984
9.	United Kingdom	Queen Elizabeth II		Dependent Territories: Anguilla, Bermuda, British territories in Indian Ocean, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Hendenson, about. St. Helena and administratively subordinate islands of Tristan da Cunha and Christmas, South. George and Yuzh. Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands
10.	Vanuatu	The president	1980
11.	Ghana	The president	1957
12.	Guyana	The president	1966
13.	Gambia	The president	1965
14.	Grenada	Queen Elizabeth II	1974
15.	Dominica	The president	1978
16.	Samoa	head of state for life - Chief Malietoa Tanumafili II	1970
17.	Zambia	The president	1964
18.	Zimbabwe	The president	1980	Membership suspended in 2002, expelled in 2003
19.	India	The president	1947
20.	Cameroon	The president	1995
21.	Canada	Queen Elizabeth II	1931
22.	Kenya	The president	1963
23.	Cyprus	The president	1961
24.	Kiribati	The president	1979
25.	Lesotho	King	1966
26.	Mauritius	The president	1968
27.	Malawi	The president	1964
28.	Malaysia	Sultan	1957
29.	Maldives	The president	1982
30.	Malta	The president	1964
31.	Mozambique	The president	1995
32.	Namibia	The president	1990
33.	Nauru	The president	1968
34.	New Zealand	Queen Elizabeth II	1931	Tokelau, as well as self-governing states in free association with New Zealand - the Cook Islands and Niue
35.	Nigeria	The president	1960	Deleted in 1995, re-adopted in 1999.
36.	Pakistan	The president	1989	Withdrew in 1972, re-adopted in 1989, expelled after the military coup in 1999, re-adopted in 2004.
37.	Papua New Guinea	Queen Elizabeth II	1975
38.	Swaziland	King	1968
39.	Seychelles	The president	1976
40.	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Queen Elizabeth II	1979
41.	Saint Kitts and Nevis	Queen Elizabeth II	1983
42.	Saint Lucia	Queen Elizabeth II	1979
43.	Singapore	The president	1965
44.	Solomon Islands	Queen Elizabeth II	1978
45.	Sierra Leone	The president	1961
46.	Tanzania	The president	1961
47.	Tonga	King	1973
48.	Trinidad and Tobago	The president	1962
49.	Tuvalu	Queen Elizabeth II	1978
50.	Uganda	The president	1962
51.	Fiji	The president	1997	Left in 1987, re-admitted in 1997, membership suspended in 2006 after a military coup
52.	Sri Lanka	The president	1948
53.	South Africa	The president	1994	Withdrew in 1961, re-adopted in 1994.
54.	Jamaica	Queen Elizabeth II	1962

The Commonwealth of Nations is an association of independent states, which includes Great Britain and many of its former dominions, colonies and protectorates. The countries that are members of this union do not have political power one above the other. It began in 1887, in 1926 the Balfour Declaration was adopted, and the status of the Commonwealth was fixed on December 11, 1931 (by the Statute of Westminster). After that, the Commonwealth resembled a kind of union of countries united with Great Britain by a personal union.

How it all started

The foundation was laid back in the 19th century, and in the early thirties of the 20th century, a statute was adopted defining the rights of a member state of the organization. According to the 1931 document, the monarch of Great Britain is the head of every country that has recognized the Statute of Westminster and is part of the British Commonwealth of Nations.

At the same time, the document established legal status Dominions, and put into effect the decisions of the 1926 and 1930 conferences. As a result, the dominions were recognized as virtually independent states, completely equal with Britain, the laws of England also could not apply to them without their consent.

In 1947, the situation changed: with the transformation of India into a republican country and the ensuing refusal to recognize the British monarch as head of state, the foundations of unification had to be radically revised. The name has changed, as well as the goals of the organization - humanitarian missions, educational projects, etc. have become priorities.

On the this moment countries belonging to the Commonwealth of Nations (53 in number) demonstrate different approach to the administration of the state. Of these, only 16 are Commonwealth realms that recognize Elizabeth II as head of state.

Member states

The path to the situation in the 21st century was long. States joined and left the union, suspended membership and renewed it (the example of Fiji, whose membership was suspended by the union due to problems with democracy in the country, is especially indicative here).

However, the process is still going on, shaping and reshaping the modern Commonwealth of Nations. The list of countries is given according to the information on the official website:

Antigua and Barbuda;
Bangladesh;
Botswana;
Canada;
Fiji (reinstated as a full member on 26 September 2014);
Guyana;
Kenya;
Malawi;
Malta;
Namibia;
Nigeria;
Rwanda;
Seychelles;
Solomon islands;
Saint Kitts and Nevis;
Tonga;
Uganda;
Vanuatu;
Australia;
Barbados;
Brunei;
Cyprus;
Ghana;
India;
Kiribati;
Malaysia;
Mauritius;
Nauru;
Pakistan;
Saint Lucia;
Sierra Leone;
South Africa;
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines;
Trinidad and Tobago;
United Kingdom;
Zambia;
Bahamas;
Belize;
Cameroon;
Dominica;
Grenada;
Jamaica;
Lesotho;
Maldives;
Mozambique;
New Zealand;
Papua New Guinea;
Samoa;
Singapore;
Sri Lanka;
Swaziland;
Tuvalu;
Tanzania.

The countries of the Commonwealth of Nations are united not only by treaties and acts, but also culturally and linguistically: in 11 countries, English is one of the official languages, and in the other 11 it is the sole official language.

Commonwealth Government

As indicated on the official website, this is a voluntary association of countries with common values. Queen Elizabeth II formally heads the British Commonwealth of Nations (the list of member countries of this organization is one of the largest in the world), while the current administrative leadership is carried out by the Secretariat.

According to the form of government within the union, the distribution is as follows: 32 states are republics, 5 are national monarchies, and 16 recognize the head of the British queen, represented in each country by the governor general. However, it does not perform any formal functions or responsibilities.

Business

The Commonwealth of Nations list of countries is impressive - the states are divided into four different categories, according to the World Bank classification (the ranking is updated annually, reflecting the gross national income per capita for the previous year). Of these, 11 are high-income, 14 are upper-middle, 18 are lower-middle, and 10 are low level GNI.

Union countries lead in many industries around the world: mining is among the examples precious stones and metals information Technology, tourism.

Formation of the Commonwealth

The first member countries of the association were Great Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa. They joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 1931. Pakistan and India joined the union in 1947. Sri Lanka - in 1948. Together they form a list of states - the oldest members of the association.

Ghana joined in 1957.

In the sixties, the British Commonwealth of Nations received a new replenishment: Nigeria (1960), Sierra Leone and Tanzania (1961), Uganda (1962), Kenya (1963), Zambia (1964) joined the union. ). Next - Guyana, Botswana and Lesotho (1966), Swaziland (1968)

Bangladesh joined in 1972, Papua New Guinea in 1975.

And finally, Namibia (1990), Mozambique and Cameroon (1995), Rwanda (2009) completes the list of countries.

Population

In terms of population, the Commonwealth of Nations has 2.2 billion people. India is expected to lead with 1236.7 million. Pakistan, Nigeria and Bangladesh, which are approximately on the same level, are far behind it - 179.2 million, 168.8 million and 154.7 million, respectively. In fourth place, oddly enough, is Great Britain (all numbers and data are taken from the official website of the Commonwealth) - its population, according to the latest data, is 62.8 million people.

The vast area is inhabited by only 34.8 million, and mainland Australia belongs to 23.1 million people.

Health care and longevity

But in the field of health and well-being, everything is quite expected - the largest average in Australia and Singapore (82 years), Canada and New Zealand (81 years), the UK, Cyprus and Malta (80 years). In last place is Sierra Leone - only 45 years old (according to 2012).

The same country leads in terms of mortality of children and newborns, as well as mothers (according to data for 2010-2012). At the same time, Sierra Leone is a state with one of the most high levels fertility in the Commonwealth.

Mozambique and Rwanda

For decades, various acts have been adopted and other documents have been drawn up that regulate the actions of the association, what is possible and what is not possible in it. There is no single document, like a constitution. The basis for entry is a connection with Great Britain - the road to membership in the Commonwealth is open to former colonies, protectorates and dominions. There were, however, two exceptions to this rule: Mozambique, a former colony of Portugal, and Rwanda, a former colony of Belgium and Germany.

The first one is one of the poorest countries in the world. Mozambique is a state that is part of the Commonwealth of Nations "not by right, but by grace." He got into the composition after all the neighbors-members of the association made a request to join Mozambique (this is one of the theories).

The background is as follows: after gaining independence in 1975, major reforms were carried out, and most of the Portuguese settlers were expelled. started Civil War accompanied by serious casualties among the population and migration a large number refugees.

The war ended only in 1992 - no wonder that the country was in decline. Membership in the Commonwealth is generally beneficial for the state - this statement is true for Rwanda, which also managed to survive hard times (including the genocide).

Role and goals in relation to its members

Today, the countries of the British Commonwealth of Nations conduct their activities in two directions - the dissemination of the principles and norms of democracy and the promotion of development. It is the second largest, after the UN, international union. English plays a very important unifying role, especially since now this language has become one of the ways of business communication.

Great Britain and others carry out various humanitarian missions within the framework of the union, provide support in the economic and other spheres. Although formally all member countries of the Commonwealth are independent, such assistance contributes to the influence of those who provide it to those who need it.

Britain's role within the union

Throughout history, from the formation of the association and beyond, the role and attitude of Great Britain towards this union has changed. In the first half of the 20th century, it was mentioned only as Over time, the priorities of politicians shifted towards the European Union, which looked very promising. However, in light of recent trends in the EU, the idea of strengthening and developing ties may look more and more attractive, given how extensive the list of states forming the Commonwealth of Nations is.

In support of this course, the behavior of Great Britain towards Australia can also be interpreted. In this country, supporters republican form boards have very strong positions, and talk of leaving the Commonwealth is a regular occurrence.

Visits to Australia by members of the British royal family, as well as the wedding in 2011 of Prince William and Kate Middleton played a role in enhancing the prestige According to statements made by British diplomats in 2011, these visits negated the possibility of Australia becoming a republic in the near future.

The visit of Queen Elizabeth II and also the royal wedding fueled the interest of Australians, however, officials also said that Australian society in the future will strive to get out of the power of the queen, even if this power is only symbolic.

The British Foreign Office said in a statement that demographic changes in the country are leading to a reduction in the number of citizens who somehow feel their connection with England. At the same time, a large percentage of the population believes that the creation of a republic is an integral stage in the formation of a state.

Some other countries that are members of the Commonwealth of Nations, however, support the idea of closer cooperation. Similar proposals have already been made, but they did not receive the support of the majority due to fears of British imperial ambitions.

The probability of integration is still low - too different level development is not conducive to complementarity of products produced, rather, countries at a lower level compete because they produce the same or similar goods. Nevertheless, they benefit from the support of the more developed. A serious disadvantage of the Commonwealth, however, is that it does not have strong mechanisms for influencing its members - the only option is to suspend membership in the organization.

Commonwealth of Nations British Commonwealth of Nations- an association of independent states that were previously part of the British Empire, recognizing the British monarch as a symbol of free unity.
The Commonwealth includes (at the end of 2009): Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, 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, 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 Kitts and Nevis, Brunei, Vanuatu, Rwanda.
The British Commonwealth of Nations came to replace british empire, which since the beginning of the 20th century. began to gradually lose their colonies.
At first, overseas territories inhabited mainly by British colonists lost their character of colonies. The status of a dominion, that is, a self-governing territory, was received by Canada - from 1867, Australia - from 1901, New Zealand - from 1907. Subsequently, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and some other colonies with local population. In 1931, a separate act of parliament replaced the term "empire" with the concept of Commonwealth (Commonwealth). formed british commonwealth nations, that is, a union of formally equal states based on "common allegiance to the crown." In 1949-1952 in organizational structures The Commonwealth has undergone significant changes aimed at asserting the sovereignty of its members. The term "British" has been dropped from the name of the Commonwealth, and the principle of allegiance to the crown is mandatory. Since 1965 governing body The Commonwealth of Nations became a conference of its members. At Secretary General The Commonwealth began to function as a permanent secretariat. He took over the functions of the former Cabinet of Ministers of Great Britain and the Commonwealth Office, which was liquidated after the formation of the secretariat.
The British Empire began to evolve since the time of the Balfour Declaration, which was proclaimed at the Imperial Conference in 1926 and was formalized in the Declaration of the Statute of Westminster in 1931.
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, the collapse of the British Empire was completed - and the Commonwealth of Nations was completely formalized, which united most of the former British possessions. Now main role head of the Commonwealth, which is now the queen, it became necessary to maintain relations between the Commonwealth countries among themselves and with the former mother country. The queen often played important role in restoring broken relations with the Commonwealth countries and smoothing out contradictions.
In 2007, secret documents were discovered showing that in 1956 French Prime Minister Guy Mollet and British Prime Minister Anthony Eden discussed the possibility of an alliance between Britain and France. At the same time, it was not excluded that Elizabeth II could become the head of state in France. [Source?]
As a constitutional monarch, Elizabeth II should not publicly express her political likes or dislikes. She always followed this rule, acting in public - so her Political Views remain unexplained. But there is evidence that the queen is leaning towards the so-called "One Nation" view. During the reign of Margaret Thatcher, it was known that the Queen was worried that her policies could lead to serious social problems. Margaret Thatcher is known to have once said: "The problem is that the Queen is the type of woman who can vote for the Social Democratic Party."

british automotive Rolls-Royce company today is working on the creation of a new coupe called Ghost. The company is positioning the new super car as the fastest car in the history of the "elite" brand.

Great Britain remained a huge colonial empire for a long time, but in the nineteenth century its political course was revised. The British Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary union of several countries, originally concluded in order to change relations with the empire's colonies. The association successfully functions today, however, the initial principles of work and modern politics differ significantly.

Historical background

After the colonies of Britain achieved recognition of their independence in America, only the territory of Canada remained under the rule of the crown. This entailed a revision of the policy of England towards a more loyal external political course, as well as the possibility of autonomy for the colonies under the rule of local politicians.

The first colony where a parliament and local self-government appeared, however, under the control of representatives of Britain, was. At the same time, Great Britain reserved the right to make a final decision on a number of political issues - this concerned, first of all, the control of land, foreign political activity and trade relations, defense issues and the actual norms of the local constitution on the territory of the colony. But all restrictions were removed before the end of the First World War.

Fundamental principles

The main principles of the Commonwealth of Nations were first drawn up at the end of the nineteenth century, in the framework of the colonial conference, which was held in London. The most developed colonial territories in the British Empire after the change of course foreign policy were supposed to become autonomous entities, however, in reality it looked like a recognition of the independence of countries within the UK. The first dominions were Canada, Australia, as well as New Zealand, Ireland, Newfoundland.

A significant stage in the history of the association was the Second World War. After the end of hostilities, the sign of belonging to Great Britain was removed from the name of the British Commonwealth of Nations. The subsequent declaration of independence of India and the establishment of a republic on its territory led to the need to revise the basic principles. The main areas of activity were humanitarian missions, including educational ones, which were not supposed to affect internal politics countries. All members of the union were given equal rights— regardless of the level of the economy. Each member may leave the Commonwealth voluntarily at any time. and also take advantage of the possibility of temporary suspension of membership.

Members of the Commonwealth

There are now fifty-three countries in the Commonwealth, including Great Britain. Total population The population of the participating countries is almost 1.8 billion, which is about thirty percent of the world's population. Formally, the head of the seventeen former colonies, which are called the Commonwealth Kingdoms, is ruled by the monarch of Great Britain, but this does not prevent some countries from denying the power of Britain without changing their own status within the union.

Not all countries that are part of the Commonwealth today were formerly colonies of the British Empire - for example, Mozambique.

Management and control

The head of the Commonwealth of Nations is the British monarch - Elizabeth II, but this is a symbolic position that does not imply actual functions. The post of head of this association is not inherited - in the event of a change of monarch, the new head will be elected at a meeting of all members of the Commonwealth. The administrative work of the union is controlled by the Secretariat, whose head office is located in London.

The era of the reign of kings and emperors was replaced by republics and parliamentary monarchies, and those few kings that remained in power today are significantly limited in their rights. But not the British Queen Elizabeth II. The monarch of Great Britain, in addition to his country, is the head of another 15 independent states, including Canada and Australia. And this is not a simple formality, as it might seem at first glance.

The monarchs of Sweden, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands and other kingdoms of Europe perform largely representative functions, without playing a significant role in political life their states. The British monarch, who has been Elizabeth II for more than 65 years, although she has limitations in her power in the form of the British Parliament, nevertheless has a number of key opportunities.

For example, the queen has the right to reject a prime minister who, in her opinion, is not suitable for the state. In the history of Great Britain, two cases are also known when Elizabeth II personally appointed the prime minister. In addition, the Queen can dissolve Parliament with the support of 2/3 of the House of Commons.

The British Queen is the head of the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (which is the full name of the country we often refer to simply as Great Britain). It is she who has the right to declare war or conclude peace, as well as direct active army to the battlefields.

Every week, the Queen hosts the incumbent Prime Minister for an "exchange of views". Of course, the content of these conversations is not disclosed, but, judging by the regular meetings, the relationship between the British Queen and the Prime Minister of the country is much deeper than it might seem from the outside. In addition, in the UK there is Privy Council who gives the queen daily Required documents for studying. The Queen of Great Britain is the head of the Anglican Church. And finally, the British monarch has immunity. A civil suit or criminal case cannot be filed against the person of the monarch.

Elizabeth II is the head of state not only of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and all the colonies belonging to the country, but also of 15 other states that are officially independent. These countries were former colonies of the British Empire, but after gaining independence, the British monarch officially remained the head of state.

The British Queen is the head of the Commonwealth of Nations, which, in addition to these 15 countries, includes India, South Africa, Pakistan and many others. In all other members of the Commonwealth of Nations, the British Queen is not the head of state. Among these 15 states there are both the largest countries in the world in terms of area, for example, Canada, and very small ones. Elizabeth II appoints governors general, who are her representatives in these countries. In addition to many other rights, the British Queen directs the armed forces of all these countries, through the same governors general. So, let's take a look at the possessions of the British Queen:

Australia

This state with a population of 24.8 million people (according to statistics for 2018) occupies an entire continent. And although in last years there is an active debate on the transformation of Australia into a republic, the Queen is still the head of state.

Antigua and Barbuda

An island nation in the Caribbean with a population of approximately 93,500 (2016 estimate).

Bahamas

State located on the islands Atlantic Ocean, with a population of 321,800 (2014 estimate).

Barbados

Barbados is an island nation in the Caribbean region with a population of about 277,800 (2010 estimate).

Belize

A Central American state with a population of 347,370 (as of 2015).

Grenada

A small island nation in the Caribbean with a population of 107,800 (2010 estimate).

Canada

This second-largest country in the world is a former colony of Great Britain and, despite independence, the British Queen is the head of state, and her powers here are much wider than in Great Britain itself. The population of this country is 36.6 million people (as of 2017).

New Zealand

New Zealand is located on the islands to the east of Australia and has a population of around 4.85 million (2018 estimate).

Papua New Guinea

island nation in pacific ocean with a population of 7.3 million (2013 estimate).

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

One more independent state in the Caribbean with a population of 104,200 (as of 2010).

Saint Kitts and Nevis

About 50,000 people live on the territory of this state in the Caribbean Sea (as of 2010).

Saint Lucia

A small state in the Caribbean with a population of 160,900 people (as of 2010).

Solomon islands

These Pacific Islands are home to 515,800 people (2009 census).

Tuvalu

The tiny islands in the Pacific Ocean are home to about 11,200 people (as of 2011).

Jamaica

Jamaica is located on the Caribbean island of the same name and has a population of 2.93 million (2014 estimate).

In total, along with the population of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the colonial lands, Elizabeth II has more than 140 million subjects around the world.