Commonwealth Secretariat
The Commonwealth Secretariat, established in 1965, is the civil service of the Commonwealth – an equal association of 53 countries bound together by a common language – English – and a common commitment to democracy and development. This institution executes plans agreed by Commonwealth Heads of Government at their biannual meetings (CHOGM).
The Secretariat is not like a traditional development agency: it does not build schools, roads or hospitals. Rather, the Secretariat delivers its core areas of work in three ways: through policy development, technical assistance and advisory services.
The Secretariat's two main goals reflect the Commonwealth's emphasis on the promotion of democracy and development:
1.) It supports Commonwealth countries to prevent or resolve conflicts, strengthen democratic practices and the rule of law, and achieve greater respect for human rights.
2.) It supports policies for economic growth and sustainable development which focus on those people most in need in Commonwealth countries.
The Commonwealth is a geographically and economically diverse association with direct access to policy-makers and governments. This makes the Secretariat, and other Commonwealth organisations, able to facilitate projects, programmes and meetings as well as share best practice between members who are often facing similar issues. Commonwealth membership provides countries with the platform for replicating successful programmes or policies.
The Secretariat also works together with other international organisations, like the United Nations, in order to help us deliver on the mandates from Heads of member governments. This prevents duplication of projects and means that our resources can be used responsibly in areas where we have specialist expertise and a proven track record.
The RCS works closely with the Commonwealth Secretariat on many projects. The Commonwealth Secretary-General gave a keynote address at the RCS on 2 October 2008.
Commonwealth Secretariat,
Marlborough House, Pall Mall
London SW1Y 5HX
Phone: +44 (0)20 7747 6500 (switchboard)
Fax: +44 (0)20 7930 0827
Email: info@commonwealth.int 
Website: www.thecommonwealth.org