Types of membership

The Commonwealth consists of 54 independent nations, their dependencies, and two special members—the independent island nations of Nauru and Tuvalu. As special members, Nauru and Tuvalu contribute to the organization’s budget on a voluntary basis and receive aid from the Commonwealth, but do not participate in the meetings attended by heads of governments. Only independent nations can be considered full members; they are all fully sovereign and in no way subordinate to Britain. Dependencies of Commonwealth nations are also included in the Commonwealth, although not as full members, and can participate in many Commonwealth activities.

Administration

The Commonwealth is a flexible and often informal association. Its main function is to encourage communication and cooperation among its diverse members, with their different needs and concerns. In 1965 the Commonwealth Secretariat was established in London to serve as a clearinghouse for the exchange of information. The Secretariat is headed by the Commonwealth secretary general and is responsible for carrying out programs formulated during the various meetings. The secretary general is elected by the Commonwealth heads of government from among the many Commonwealth diplomats and ministers. The Commonwealth Foundation provides financial and other support to professional associations and nongovernment organizations, enabling these groups to travel to other Commonwealth countries to work together. The Commonwealth Games, established in 1930 as the British Empire Games, bring together athletes from nations around the world every four years.

Trade and economic development

For many years economic relations formed a major link among Commonwealth countries. Patterns of trade established during the British Empire survived even after most dependencies became independent, and some of the old economic ties were preserved under a system of mutual tariff preferences set up in 1932. The system benefited the less-developed members by reducing or eliminating British duties on certain exports, mainly foodstuffs. In return, these countries favored Britain in their imports of certain manufactured goods. The importance of this tariff system declined in the 1960s as Britain increased its trade with other developed nations, especially in Europe. Other Commonwealth nations also diversified their economies and found new trading partners outside the Commonwealth. In 1973 Britain entered the European Economic Community, now the European Union (EU), and adopted its tariffs, which changed the established trading patterns among the Commonwealth nations.

The exchange of technical experts and advice, through the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation, plays a significant role in Commonwealth affairs. Several of the more prosperous Commonwealth countries are members of the Colombo Plan, which provides funds for the economic development of southern Asia and parts of the Pacific. The larger Commonwealth nations are also helping the smaller, less-developed members become part of the global economy. To this end, they have established more liberal trade arrangements and organized regional private investment funds.