TNAG-1117-FCO40-1391-Future-of-the-Dependent-Territories-1982 — Page 178

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CONFIDENTIAL

BRITAIN'S INTEREST IN THE COMMONWEALTH

DSR 11C

The Nature of the Commonwealth

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These range

1. The Commonwealth consists of 43 full members, and/special

members who contribute less and are entitled to all

privileges except attendance at the Commonwealth Heads of

Government (CHGM) meetings. There are four developed

country members UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand

with the rest drawn from the developing world.

from countries of considerable importance to us, such as

India and Nigeria, to tiny Pacific and Caribbean islands,

span the political spectrum from the right (Singapore) to the

far left (Grenada, Seychelles). Commonwealth countries

represent all the major regions of the world with the

exceptions of Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North

Africa, and they cover a quarter of the world's population.

Their governments, though not always their people, are for

A list of Commonwealth members

the most part Anglophone.

and

C

is at Annex 1.

|

2. The Commonwealth has no written constitution, though its

members subscribe to the Declaration of Commonwealth

Principles drawn up in 1971, and recognize The Queen as Head

of the Commonwealth, a title which carries no responsibilites

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 Sridath

Ramphal from Guyana.

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