The Commonwealth reassessed

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Notes

1. South Africa sent over 100 athletes to participate in the Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi, India, in October 2010.

2. After the Report of a Committee on Commonwealth Membership was presented to Heads of Government at the 2007 CHOGM held in Kampala, Uganda, the final communiqué of the Heads of Government agreed on the following core criteria for Membership: (a) a historic constitutional association with an existing Commonwealth member, save in exceptional circumstances; (b) in exceptional circumstances, applications should be considered on a case-by-case basis; (c) an applicant country should accept and comply with Commonwealth fundamental values, principles, and priorities as set out in the 1971 Declaration of Commonwealth Principles and contained in other subsequent Declarations; (d) an applicant country must demonstrate commitment to: democracy and democratic processes, including free and fair elections and representative legislatures; the rule of law and independence of the judiciary; good governance, including a well-trained public service and transparent public accounts; and protection of human rights, freedom of expression, and equality of opportunity; (e) an applicant country should accept Commonwealth norms and conventions, such as the use of the English language as the medium of inter-Commonwealth relations, and acknowledge Queen Elizabeth II as the Head of the Commonwealth; and (f) new members should be encouraged to join the Commonwealth Foundation, and to promote vigorous civil society and business organisations within their countries, and to foster participatory democracy through regular civil society consultations: Commonwealth Secretariat, ‘Membership of the Commonwealth: Report of the Committee on Commonwealth Membership’, <http://www.thecommonwealth.org/document/34293/35144/174531/membership_report.htm>.

3. It is not clear when these will become available to scholars. What has, say, South Africa's role been on the Board of Governors of the Commonwealth and its executive committee, which meet biannually and quarterly respectively in London. The website of South Africa's Department of International Relations and Co-operation does not tell us.

4. Vale P & D Black, ‘The prodigal returns: South Africa and the Commonwealth, past and future’, Southern African Perspectives, University of the Western Cape, 35, 1994; Burford G, Indicator South Africa, 16, 3, 1999, pp. 86–90; Minty A, ‘The Commonwealth. Still a relevant organisation’, Global Dialogue, 4, 3, 2003, p. 19.

5. ‘Welcome to South Africa’, <http://www.commonwealth-of-nations.org/South_Africa>.