Did you know?
Although many members have historical links to the former British Empire, this is not always the case – Portuguese-speaking Mozambique joined the Commonwealth in 1995 and Yemen, Algeria and Rwanda have all applied for membership.
The Commonwealth's Secretary-General is currently Indian-born Kamalesh Sharma. Queen Elizabeth II is the symbolic head of the association.
What is the Commonwealth?
The modern Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 54 member countries. It stretches across all the world's continents and oceans and includes 2 billion people, or 30% of the world's population. Over half are young people aged 25 or under.
The Commonwealth's member countries are astonishingly diverse - large and small, rich and poor, industrialised and rapidly industrialising. All of the world's major religions are practised in the Commonwealth.
Yet, despite these variations, all members are united by certain common values and principles. Unlike the UN, Commonwealth members have no contractual obligations, but they commit to a common statement of beliefs.
The Commonwealth stands for:
- democracy and good governance
- sustainable economic and social development
- respect for human rights and the rule of law
- gender equality
- and protection of the environment.
As voluntary members of the association, Commonwealth countries work together in an atmosphere of cooperation, partnership and understanding. At Commonwealth Summits, all members have an equal voice, regardless of size and wealth.