Governance

Following CHOGM 2002, the Secretariat has a Board of Governors and an Executive Committee. All member governments are represented on the Board of Governors, and a 17-member Executive Committee was constituted by the Board in June 2002.

These arrangements were intended to further improve efficiency and transparency, as well as strengthen governments’ direction and oversight of the total resources they contribute to Commonwealth activities. The Board of Governors meets annually and provides strategic direction and reviews the Secretariat’s implementation of mandates from Heads of Government as well as approving strategic plans, work programmes and budgets.

The Executive Committee meets every three months, and makes policy recommendations to the Board and oversees budgets and audit functions. The Committee includes the eight largest contributors to the Secretariat’s total resources: Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Brunei Darussalam, South Africa and the United Kingdom. Other member countries are elected to the Executive Committee on a regional basis, to serve two-year terms.