Commonwealth

The Commonwealth , also known by its name in Spanish as the Commonwealth of Nations , is an important group made up of a total of 53 countries or States , which, with the exception of two of them, formed, at some point in history, part of the renowned British Empire . All the nations that are part of this group do so on a voluntary basis and, in addition, can request the withdrawal at the time they believe is necessary.

Commonwealth Features

The Commonwealth is a type of voluntary association made up of several countries which also have a similar trajectory in both their culture and history.

• Most of the countries that make up the Commonwealth speak English .
• It is made up of a total of 53 countries or states.
• The only two countries that were not part, at one point in the history of the British Empire, are Rwanda and Mozambique .
• All the countries that are part of the organization recognize Queen Elizabeth II as the leader of the Commonwealth .
• Some of the countries, such as Canada , continue to have a political link with the British monarchy.
• It is estimated that a third of the world’s population are included in this organization.
• The word can be translated as wealth in common .

It is noteworthy that the Commonwealth works by a Declaration of Principles, which first was signed in 1971 and later was ratified in 1991. In it, he gives recognition to democracy , the human rights , the equality , respect for laws and sustainable economic development . Each of the countries that make up this organization, contributes a certain amount of money in order to be able to finance the community. They also have a different form of organization than other countries. The States that belong to this group have representativesThey are known by the name of high commissioners but always having Queen Elizabeth II as the main head .

History

The history and origin of the Commonwealth begins during the period of the British Empire . In the year 1884 , Lord Rosebery , devised the idea of ​​a ” community of nations “, at a time when some of the colonies became a little more independent from the metropolis. In 1921, the term ” British Commonwealth of Nations ” began to be used and at the empire conference that took place in 1926 , it was finally established that the dominions of Great Britain had equal status, that they were united through their loyalty to the Crownand that they were also freely associated with the Commonwealth. After the end of World War II , the British Empire was gradually dismantled, however, a large majority of the countries that made it up continued to be part of the group.

What is your function

The main function of the Commonwealth is economic cooperation through a series of treaties also improving the business-related aspects of its members. It also provides its allies with political cooperation. In addition, it is an organization that is responsible for defending the principles and providing all kinds of assistance to its member nations so that they can develop in a sustainable and inclusive way .

Structure of the  Commonwealth

The Commonwealth has an intergovernmental structure or organization that also has a regional character . It is made up of a total of 54 states , all of them independent and which, apart from Rwanda and Mozambique, do not share any type of historical link with the United Kingdom. Its structure is similar to that of a legal basis which is known as the Declaration of Principles of the Commonwealth .

In the structure, all its members are equal and also have the same rights and obligations and are grouped into two main groups. The first group is made up of the Commonwealth Realms , which are states in which the Queen has a representation which falls on the Governor General of the country, and he is in charge of appointing the Prime Minister . The second group is made up of republics or monarchies , as in the case of Malaysia and Swaziland.

Member countries

In total, the Commonwealth is made up of a total of 54 countries, on different continents of the world. The information is detailed below.

• Europe : Malta, Cyprus and the United Kingdom.
• America : Bahamas, Canada, Dominica, Guyana, Saint Lucia, Tobago, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Belize, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Grenada, Saint Lucia.
• Africa : Nigeria, Rwanda, Botswana, Cameroon, Kenya, Swaziland, Sierra Leone, Mauritius, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Lesotho, Ghana, Seychelles, Zambia, Gambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa.
• Asia : India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Brunei, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Maldives.
• Oceania : Fiji, New Zealand, Australia , Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga.

Politics

In the field of politics, the Commonwealth is a type of system that tries first of all to increase the material wealth of the States that comprise it, without taking into account the ideological aspect, since in its politics, the human being has every right to to be able to act freely .

Economy

Regarding the economy , the traditional sources of money used by the countries that are part of the Commonwealth are based on taxes and with this the development of the countries is sought , however, it is not an easy task, since money often is not sufficient. This institution is also responsible for providing assistance with both natural , human and economic resources so that States can create resistance to the different economic and environmental crises that may affect them as well as improve the prosperity of citizens.

The Commonwealth helps member countries manage their national debts by providing expert advice and training and developing debt management software packages. They help countries to better discuss and understand emerging issues related to world trade . This helps Commonwealth countries to be more prepared for bilateral , regional and multilateral trade negotiations .

Culture

Many of the nations that make up the Commonwealth have traditions and customs that are unique to the organization. They are used to practicing sports such as cricket and rugby, and they have the common right to use the English language as the official language. As for sports, countries practice some activities that are considered British par excellence and it is considered a way to share culture.

They have an organization called the Commonwealth Association for Literature and Language Studies , which also has a total of 11 affiliates around the world. In 1987, the Commonwealth Foundation was created , and the Annual Writers Award was also created with the aim of promoting and giving rewards, thus guaranteeing the merit of works.

Importance of the Commonwealth

The main importance of this organization lies in the fact that they are dedicated to helping the different societies that are part of it with the objective that they manage to develop their economies and also facilitates everything related to economic , international cooperation , with democracy and peace by developing a series of joint initiatives whose main goal is to meet global objectives that include climate change and the promotion of gender equality .