TNAG-1117-FCO40-1391-Future-of-the-Dependent-Territories-1982 — Page 162

CONFIDENTIAL

DSR 11C

BRITAIN'S INTEREST IN THE COMMONWEALTH.

The Nature of the Commonwealth

1.

UK,

The Commonwealth consists of 43 full members, and 3

special members who pay a smaller contribution to the

Commonwealth Secretariat budget and enjoy all the benefits

of membership except attendance at the Commonwealth Heads

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

is at Annex 1. There are four developed country members

Canada, Australia and New Zealand - with the rest drawn from

the developing world. These range from countries of con-

siderable importance, such as India and Nigeria, to tiny

Pacific and Caribbean islands, and span the political spectrum

from the right (Singapore) to the far left (Grenada, Seychelles

Commonwealth countries represent most of the major regions of

the world and they contain a quarter of the world's

population. Their governments, though not always their

people, are for the most part Anglophone.

2. The Commonwealth has no written constitution, though its

members subscribe to the Declaration of Commonwealth

Principles drawn up in 1971 (See Annex 2) and recognize The

Queen as Head of the Commonwealth, a title which carries no

formal responsibilities, though there remain enormous respect

and affection for The Queen personally. 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 drawn from member

countries) 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.

3. The official activities of the Commonwealth include the

biennial CHGM, the annual Finance Ministers meeting, held