TNAG-1117-FCO40-1391-Future-of-the-Dependent-Territories-1982 — Page 128

CONFIDENTIAL

BRITAIN'S INTEREST IN THE COMMONWEALTH

DSR 11C

The Nature of the Commonwealth

1.

Chalong. Alle

The Commonwealth 43 full members, and 3 special members

who pay a smaller contribution to the budget and do not attend

Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings (CHGM). A list of members

is at Annex 1. They include four developed countries, UK, Canada,

Australia and New Zealand. The rest come from the developing world

and range from important countries like India and Nigeria, to small

Pacific and Caribbean islands, and span the political spectrum

from right to far left.

Commonwealth countries contain a quarter

of the world's population. Their governments, though not always their

people, are for the most part Anglophone.

2. Most member countries see clear value in the Commonwealth.

Nearly all former colonies join on Independence.

The last countries

to leave were South Africa in 1961 and Pakistan in 1972, and Pakistan

wants to rejoin. The Commonwealth shows no sign of withering away.

Small countries in particular like to feel wanted.

3. The Commonwealth has no written constitution, though its

members subscribe to the Declaration of Commonwealth Principles

drawn up in 1971 (see Annex 2) and recognise The Queen as Head of the

Commonwealth. This title carries no formal responsibilities, though

the Queen continues to enjoy enormous personal respect and affection.

The Queen remains the Head of State of 16 Commonwealth countries

apart from Britain. The London-based Commonwealth Secretariat

(founded in 1965 and consisting of a staff of about 400) prepares

major Commonwealth meetings and services the main Commonwealth

functional aid programmes. The present Secretary-General, whose

second 5-year term expires in 1985, is Shridath Ramphal from Guyana.

CONFIDENTIAL

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