Core Information 8

8. ACCREDITATION TO THE COMMONWEALTH

1. Introduction

Links and working relations between the Commonwealth inter-governmental organisations and civil society organisations have existed for many years. The recent High Level Review of the Commonwealth recognised that 'the networks for sharing expertise, information and experience among organisations, the people-to-people links and the existence of a wider Commonwealth civil society are valuable assets that give the Commonwealth a depth and reach that is unique'. The Review made a number of recommendations aimed at strengthening the intergovernmental Commonwealth's relations with civil society, including a recommendation that new criteria should be developed for accrediting non-governmental organisations to the Commonwealth and its official meetings.

2. Criteria for Accreditation by Non-Governmental Organisations

(For the purposes of this document, the term NGOs is used to include NGOs and civil society organisations (CSOs) as well as Commonwealth professional associations).  

Non-governmental organisations wishing to be accredited to the Commonwealth must meet the following criteria:

(i) Committed to the Commonwealth's fundamental values

These principles are enshrined in Commonwealth Declarations, notably the Singapore Declaration on Commonwealth Principles (1971) and the Harare Commonwealth Declaration (1991). The Harare Declaration confirmed the Commonwealth's commitment to promoting democracy and good governance, human rights and the rule of law, gender equality and sustainable economic and social development. Organisations will be required not only to confirm their commitment to these values them but also to indicate what they do to promote and implement them.

(ii) Representing the true diversity of Commonwealth countries

Organisations must recognise and respect the diversity of the Commonwealth's membership and be open to exchanging information and collaborating with like-minded organisations in all Commonwealth countries.

(iii) Transparent in their activities

Organisations seeking accreditation should be transparent in their activities and have democratic governance and decision-making processes. They should be accountable to their members. Reports on their activities and audited accounts should be submitted to the Commonwealth Secretariat at least every four years.

(iv) Open to all Commonwealth members

To be eligible for accreditation, all applicant organisations should be open to permitting eligible individuals, organisations or associations from other Commonwealth member countries to join or associate with them.

In addition to accreditation for civil society organisations, there are two other categories, namely Intergovernmental Organisations and Associated Organisations. The latter category is for organisations set up by Commonwealth governments and having an established relation with the Commonwealth

3. Benefits of Accreditation to the Commonwealth

The following benefits, some of which are more widely available, will be available to organisations accredited to the Commonwealth:

3.1 Visitor's Access to Marlborough House, the Headquarters of the Commonwealth in London

• access on request to Marlborough House
• arrangements for informal discussions with Commonwealth Secretariat and Commonwealth Foundation staff on matters of special interest
• able to consult with officers from the Secretariat and Foundation on matters of mutual interest in a field of activity related to the Commonwealth's work programme
• accommodation for small meetings on work of direct relevance to the Commonwealth, subject to availability of space. Because of very limited number of formal rooms in Marlborough house, access is limited and priority is given to Commonwealth official meetings. A reduced charge is made for accredited organisations. A special small room (up to 25 people) to accommodate meetings of accredited organisations will be available from September 2003.

3.2 Access to general information

• access, upon request, to all public information not already available on the Internet
• access to Commonwealth information materials(e.g. posters, pamphlets)
• access to CNIS, the e-news service of the Commonwealth Secretariat, and Commonwealth People, the newsletter of the Commonwealth Foundation. Where possible, this information will be sent electronically. However, hard copies can be provided to organisations that do not have access to the Internet.

3.3 Access to consultation processes

• able to participate in civil society consultative mechanisms which advise the Commonwealth on its work such as the Coolum Committee. This is currently done in a variety of ways including sector Focus Group meetings.
• invited to attend special consultations from time to time according to the subject area

3.4 Access to official meetings

The Commonwealth holds a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) every two years and regular Commonwealth Ministerial Meetings of education, finance, foreign, women's, health, law, and youth ministers.

(i) Commonwealth Ministerial Meetings

Accreditation to Commonwealth Ministerial Meetings is by invitation and the benefits of being accredited vary according to the nature of the Meeting. They range from access to documents and the ability to submit documents to the ability to participate in discussions as an observer. Accreditation to meetings normally requires being accredited to the Commonwealth plus working in areas of direct relevance to the Commonwealth and being known, through programme collaboration, to the Commonwealth Secretariat or Foundation.

Accreditation to individual Commonwealth Ministerial Meetings may sometimes be extended to an NGO if it has a working relationship with the Commonwealth, whether or not it is an accredited organisation.

(ii) Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings

All organisations accredited to the Commonwealth may apply to be accredited to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

Benefits include:

• able to submit papers
• may receive reports approved by Heads of Government
• invited to opening ceremony and other social events subject to limitations of the venue
• may participate in activities organised to interact with the Committee of the Whole
• may submit proposals through the Commonwealth Foundation or Commonwealth of Learning

4. Application Procedures

New applications for accreditation are reviewed by the Commonwealth Accreditation Committee twice a year, in March and September. For the March 2004 meeting, applications must reach the Commonwealth Secretariat by 29 February 2004. Accredited status will be periodically reviewed to ensure that accredited organisations remain in compliance with the accreditation criteria.

CSOs wishing to be accredited should write a letter on their letterhead setting out their application to become accredited. They should also attach the following information:

• the most recent annual report
• the most recent audited account
• the constitution or founding document of the organisation
• a statement confirming the organisation's commitment to Commonwealth values, and how the organisation promotes and implements these values, including information about any Commonwealth-related activities recently undertaken by the organisation
• proof of registration in a Commonwealth country
• a statement setting out any other inter-governmental organisations to which the organisation is accredited
• a statement setting out how the organisation is governed including a full list of all office bearers, their designations and country of nationality
• a list of the countries in which the organisation is active and/or has members/affiliates.

5. Information about staff

The Civil Society Liaison Office is located within the Strategic Planning and Evaluation Unit (SPED) of the Commonwealth Secretariat. The Director of SPED is Mr Stephen Cutts. The Civil Society Liaison Officer is Mr David Kalete.

6. Contact us

David Kalete
Civil Society Liaison Manager
Strategic Planning & Evaluation Division
Commonwealth Secretariat
Marlborough House
Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5HX
United Kingdom
Email: d.kalete@commonwealth.int

7. List of CSOs Accredited to the Commonwealth

List of Organisations accredited to the Commonwealth as of January 2009