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THE PEOPLE’S CHARTER: A VIEW FROM THE COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION
The tenth anniversary of the Commonwealth Charter is an appropriate moment to reflect on how well we are fulfilling its bold aspirations and connecting with both civil society and young people.
Ten years ago, Commonwealth Member States signed up to a document that set out the principles, values and aspirations that would unite the Commonwealth and guide its work. The Commonwealth Charter 1 emerged from a landmark report delivered by the Eminent Persons Group (EPG), a body set up by Commonwealth Heads of Government in 2009 to advise them on Commonwealth reform. The decision to explore ways to strengthen the Commonwealth came at a time of global economic crisis and widespread instability. It was also a time when public understanding was growing about the fact of climate change and its impacts, most especially on the Commonwealth’s Small Island States. Heads of Commonwealth countries appreciated that such a world needed a stronger, more resilient, and progressive Commonwealth; one that placed its people and their values at the centre of decision-making. They understood that a resilient and relevant Commonwealth must continue to draw on its rich diversity and build a global consensus around the issues that matter to its people.
The Commonwealth Charter, which begins with the words ‘We the People’, was seen as the Commonwealth’s statement of its place and its purpose: a single document to express the organisation’s firm and long-term commitment to the values of peace, democracy, the rule of law, human rights, gender equality, economic development and freedom of expression.
The Foundation and the Charter
The tenth anniversary of the Commonwealth Charter is an appropriate moment to reflect on how well we are fulfilling its bold aspirations. In my role leading the Commonwealth Foundation, I feel a strong obligation to both encourage and participate in that reflection. The Foundation is the pillar of the Commonwealth’s intergovernmental structure that works to advance the voice of civil society in public life. Our core commitment is to ‘participatory governance’: the idea that credible, honourable and effective governance is not just the job of a few of us. Rather, it is a collective endeavour, requiring the direct involvement of people in shaping the policies and decisions that affect their lives.
The Foundation has made the Commonwealth Charter a core reference point for all our work. We have sought to take forward the spirit of the Charter in a multitude of ways: in our increased focus on young people; in our values-based advocacy around issues of equality, justice and freedom; and in our resolute championing of the Commonwealth’s smallest and most vulnerable Member States. We have also placed the Commonwealth Charter front and centre in debates and discussions on the future of the Commonwealth that we have convened over the past several years, including at the 2022 Commonwealth People’s Forum.
The Foundation saw the anniversary of the Commonwealth Charter as the perfect opportunity to bring people together to consider the achievements and challenges of the past ten years and to reaffirm the political values and aspirations that must guide us into the future. It matters very much what the Commonwealth’s 56 Heads of Government think about the Charter and the future trajectory of their organisation. But the views of the people should always be our guiding light.
In the lead-up to Commonwealth Week earlier this year, which coincided with the ten-year anniversary of the Commonwealth Charter’s adoption, the Foundation launched a multimedia campaign to catalyse - and capture - a truly international conversation on the Charter’s relevance for the organisation and its citizens. In response to our campaign, which reached 600,000 people on social media, thousands of individuals have since 'co-signed' the Commonwealth Charter and hundreds have shared self-recorded videos discussing their vision for its future.
The digital campaign culminated in two linked Critical Conversations during Commonwealth Week: the first was an online event focussed squarely on the young people of the Commonwealth. A Decade of the Commonwealth Charter: Young Leaders’ Dialogue brought together over 700 young Commonwealth citizens from almost every Member State. The second event, A Decade of the Commonwealth Charter: Where to Now? was held in-person a few days later, jointly hosted with the High Commission of South Africa in the United Kingdom. This intergenerational event, led by a panel of speakers including one of the original drafters of the Commonwealth Charter, explored the document's impact and how it can be used to advance the principles and values it enshrines over the next decade. Prior to the event, the current and former Commonwealth Secretaries-General were invited to share their thoughts on the Charter; what it means to them, and what it means to the Commonwealth. A video of their contributions was aired at the event, which filled South Africa House to capacity - a clear indication that the future of the Commonwealth is something that many, many people care deeply about.
The People Speak
No engagement can ever be sufficiently broad or deep to truly capture the views of 2.5 billion people. But the Foundation’s celebration of the Commonwealth Charter’s anniversary helped us better understand what citizens of the Commonwealth are thinking and feeling. This is important information for all those who care about the Commonwealth; those who have a perspective on its past and those who have a stake in its future.
What then, are the views of the people when it comes to taking stock of the Commonwealth at the ten-year mark of the Charter? At the risk of over-simplification, it is possible to draw out a few central themes, with perhaps the overwhelming one being a sense that all is not well. While much has been done to advance the principles and values of the Charter, many of its core tenets are seen to be under real threat. Creeping authoritarianism, dysfunctional governance that is unable to deliver basic services; widespread and growing inequality; internal and external conflict; and persistent restrictions on freedom have all shaken the foundations of the international system and tested the Commonwealth’s commitment to the ideals of the Charter.
Today, the Commonwealth is seen to be standing at a crossroads, with the very identity of the organisation becoming less clear. Membership has expanded over recent years to include countries with looser ties to the Association’s values and history than older Members share. Some argue that the Commonwealth is now merely an association of political convenience as opposed to one built on a determination to embody and uphold shared ideals and values. The Commonwealth’s 1.5 billion young people - whose attitude to the Association will surely determine its relevance in the future - are rightly asking whether the Commonwealth is fit to address modern-day threats to democracy, peace and the health of our planet.
The Foundation’s engagement with the people of the Commonwealth has convinced us that any renewal or reinvention will have to start with a new story of what the Commonwealth is, and what it is striving to do. The old story, which spoke to the idea of a voluntary grouping of like-minded, independent countries, united by ties of history, law and language, is widely seen as no longer fit for purpose. A new story should reaffirm the Commonwealth as a values-based organisation - one that elevates the principles of human rights, democracy and equality in ways that resonate for the Commonwealth’s citizens. In practical terms, that would require the organisation to pay closer and more careful attention to what matters for its people: issues such as environmental degradation; inadequate healthcare; public sector corruption; economic underdevelopment; legally entrenched discrimination against those who are already vulnerable; and the slow, inexorable erosion of personal liberties we see right across the wider Commonwealth.
Our celebrations of the ten-year anniversary of the Charter brought up very practical questions around how the Commonwealth can work to ensure that its identity as a values-based organisation can be protected. It was repeatedly pointed out that the Commonwealth used to be better at demanding - if somewhat unevenly - a certain standard of conduct from its Members. It famously stood up to South Africa (and the United Kingdom) over apartheid. Suspension has also been occasionally used, especially in response to military coups. But the timidity that has marked its more recent years is seen to be disappointing. Participants in our dialogues widely agreed that Member States should be prepared to demand of each other a basic standard of governance and human rights. To be paralysed in the face of egregious violations of the Commonwealth Charter reflects badly on everyone.
And there is wide agreement that the Commonwealth could do much more to walk the talk of familial solidarity. The fact that its smallest and most vulnerable countries remained unvaccinated through the worst of the COVID pandemic was repeatedly cited as an example of a missed opportunity - a moment when the Commonwealth could have demonstrated its commitment to the notion that it is a ‘family’ of nations. Many are worried that something similar will happen in relation to climate change. The Commonwealth is home to most of the world’s small island developing states, for whom global warming is a genuinely existential threat; it should be leading the charge on the world stage when it comes to basic issues such as loss and damage compensation. Instead, it appears constrained and muted.
A Role for Commonwealth Parliamentarians
The tenth anniversary of the Commonwealth Charter provides a timely entry point for a consideration of the crucial role that Parliamentarians play in safeguarding and promoting the Commonwealth's shared values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Parliamentarians are not just lawmakers. They can also be bridge-builders, fostering cooperation and dialogue among the Commonwealth's diverse membership. As we confront the global challenges of climate change, inequality and threats to democracy, the role of Parliamentarians in facilitating cross-border dialogue and collaboration becomes ever more critical. With a window on both government and civil society, they are uniquely positioned to advocate for climate justice, push for inclusive growth and defend democratic ideals, thereby leading the charge towards a more sustainable, equitable, and peaceful Commonwealth.
The critical role that Parliaments play in holding governments accountable is also relevant because it is through this function that Parliamentarians can ensure that the lofty ideals of the Commonwealth Charter are translated into action and that Members do not falter in their commitment to these values. To be truly effective, the principles enshrined in the Charter must permeate every level of governance, and it is through the robust oversight of Parliaments that this becomes possible.
Towards the future
Our reflection on the Commonwealth Charter's anniversary confirms a palpable and widespread yearning for the Commonwealth to return to its core ideals, where democracy, human rights and equality are not just inscribed in a document, but practiced with resolve and vigour. The people look to the Commonwealth not just for membership and networking, but for leadership and courage in an increasingly uncertain world.
It is our collective duty to use the Charter as a beacon, guiding our actions in the years to come. We must reclaim our identity as a values-based organisation that stands up for its principles, even when it is uncomfortable to do so. Rather than shying away from the hard conversations, we must embrace them, for it is through dialogue and engagement that we can strive towards unity and progress. We owe it to the Charter, to ourselves, and to generations yet unborn, to make the Commonwealth a force that truly upholds peace, democracy and equality. Commonwealth Parliaments and Parliamentarians are an essential element of this shift because they are not just defenders of the Charter but also its torchbearers, leading the way in each Member State of the Commonwealth towards a brighter, more inclusive future.
And the story of the Commonwealth must evolve. We must reimagine our narrative to reflect the realities of the present and the aspirations of the future. We must do this not only for the 1.5 billion young people who will carry the mantle but also for all those who believe in the transformative power of the Commonwealth. It is a formidable task, but the sentiments expressed during the Charter celebrations fill us with optimism for a future where the Commonwealth embodies its principles in deeds, not just words. The people of the Commonwealth deserve nothing less.
To find out about the work of the Commonwealth Foundation please visit www.commonwealthfoundation.com
