Our story

The Commonwealth Foundation was established by Heads of Government in 1965, reflecting the commitment of Member States to ensuring that the Commonwealth would be as much an association of peoples as of governments.

Occupying one of the three intergovernmental pillars of the Commonwealth, the Foundation is a unique interlocutor between government and civil society. Our Member States guide the Foundation’s strategic direction and fund our programmes through assessed contributions. It is to our Member States, first and foremost, that we are accountable.

We are explicitly mandated to advance the interests of civil society, placing the Foundation firmly in the service of the 2.5 billion members of the Commonwealth family. We support the voice of civil society to engage in all aspects of governance to shape policies and practices.

‘We recognise the important role that civil society plays in our communities and countries as partners in promoting and supporting Commonwealth values and principles, including the freedom of association and peaceful assembly, and in achieving development goals.’

The Commonwealth Charter, agreed by Commonwealth Heads of Government, 2012

Commonwealth Charter

The Foundation’s obligations, to our Member States and to the people of the Commonwealth, are complementary and mutually reinforcing. This is demonstrated, most clearly, in the Commonwealth Charter. In affirming the commitment of all Commonwealth countries to the development of free and democratic societies, it explicitly acknowledges the role of civil society ‘as partners in promoting and supporting Commonwealth values and principles.’

The values and principles enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter—including justice, equality and inclusion—provide a focus and framework for everything we do.