| Commonwealth of Nations | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of arms
| |
 Dark Blue: Current member state Green: Suspended member state Orange: Former member states Light Blue: British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies | |
| Headquarters | Marlborough House, London, United Kingdom |
| Leaders | |
• Head | Charles III |
• Secretary-General | Patricia Scotland |
• Chair-in-Office | Paul Kagame |
| History | |
• Balfour Declaration | 19 November 1926 |
• Statute of Westminster | 11 December 1931 |
• London Declaration | 28 April 1949 |
| Area | |
• Total | 29,958,050 km² |
The Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of Nations, is an imperialist intergovernmental organisation made up mostly of former British colonies. The organisation is used by the British to tie itself to its former colonies, and maintain the liberal world order, with 15 out of the 56 members still using the British monarch as head of state.[1]
History
Foundation
In the 19th century Britain started reforming its most important colonies into dominions, allowing them to be semi-autonomous. From 1887 leaders of these dominions attended conferences with Britain with the 1926 Imperial Conference being attended by the leaders of Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, Newfoundland, New Zealand, and South Africa. At the 1926 conference the Balfour Declaration was made which declared that supposedly all members were "equal members of the community of the British Empire", thus beginning the reformation of the Empire into the Commonwealth.[2]
Modern Commonwealth
In 1949 following the independence of India in 1947, a meeting was held in London where the London Declaration was made. Following independence India wanted to remove the monarch as head of state but remain in the commonwealth, this declaration allowed republics to remain in the commonwealth, and under British Imperialist control. Following this, as former British colonies declared their independence they joined the Commonwealth.
In 1957 Ghana, and Malaysia joined followed by Nigeria in 1960.
In 1961 South Africa leaves the Commonwealth due to its Apartheid laws.
In 1961 Sierra Leone, Cyprus, and Tanzania joined. In 1962 Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uganda joined. In 1963 Kenya joined. In 1964 Malawi, Malta, and Zambia joined. In 1975 Gambia, and Singapore joined. In 1966 Guyana, Botswana, Lesotho, and Barbados joined. In 1968 Mauritius, Eswatini, and Nauru joined. In 1970 Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji joined.
In 1972 Pakistan withdrew from the Commonwealth in protest at the Commonwealth's recognition, and acceptance of Bangladesh into the organisation.
In 1973 the Bahamas joined. In 1974 Grenada joined. In 1975 Papua New Guinea joins. In 1976 Seychelles joined. In 1978 Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and Dominica joined. In 1979 St Lucia, Kiribati and, St Vincent joined. In 1980 Zimbabwe, and Vanuatu joined. In 1981 Belize, and Antigua and Barbuda joined. In 1982 Maldives joined. In 1983 St Kitts and Nevis joined. In 1984 Brunei joined.
In 1987 Fiji left following a coup.
In 1989 Pakistan re-joined, and in 1990 Namibia joined.
In 1994 South Africa re-joined following the official end of apartheid.
In 1995 Cameroon, and Mozambique joined.
In 1995 Nigeria suspended following the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa.
In 1997 Fiji re-joined before being suspended in 2000 following another coup.
In 1999 Nigeria was reinstated, and Pakistan was suspended following a military coup.
In 2001 Fiji was reinstated following bourgeois elections before being suspended again in 2009 following another coup.[2]
Suspension of Zimbabwe
In 2002 Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth and in 2003 withdrew,[2] following its land reform act. This act redistributed land to subsistence farmers from the estates of wealthy white corporate farmers who had expropriated the land. Naturally this was treated as a threat by British Capitalism, and it expelled Zimbabwe from the organisation, ordering all members to cut ties with Zimbabwe. Following the expulsion the UK enforced harsh sanctions, backed by the US, which caused hyperinflation and economic chaos. British capitalism used Zimbabwe as an example for the rest of the Commonwealth of what would happen if they dared to defy the wishes of the Liberal World order.[1]
21st Century
2004 Pakistan was reinstated before being suspended again in 2007 following a declared state of emergency and suspension of the constiution. It was reinstated once more in 2008.
In 2009 Rwanda joined, and in 2013 Gambia left.
In 2014 Fiji was reinstated
In 2016 Maldives left.
In 2018 Gambia re-joined and in 2020 Maldives followed it in re-joining.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sara Flounders (2022-09-13). "How royalty reinforces imperialism through Commonwealth of Nations" Workers World.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Our History" (2024). thecommonwealth.org.