The Commonwealth of values, the Commonwealth of its times

Speaking at the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House in London on 11 March 2008, Don McKinnon reflected on his eight-year tenure as Commonwealth Secretary-General.

Mr McKinnon began by looking at the “two pillars of the modern Commonwealth” – democracy and development – which, he said, are inseparable from each other. “We can’t claim to live up to our name in the sense of having common and shared wealth, but we do try very hard to live up to the goal of helping each other to improve the lives of all our citizens.”

The Secretary-General stressed that the Commonwealth’s understanding of democracy goes beyond elections, to the need for democratic institutions like parliament, a judiciary and civil control over the army and police force. “What’s more, all of those institutions need to advance together,” he added.

The Commonwealth’s development work aims to create conditions for global growth, Mr McKinnon observed. He mentioned the Commonwealth’s debt management programmes, which have been adopted in 54 countries worldwide; good governance programmes which are run all over the Commonwealth; the ‘Aid-for-Trade’ programmes; and the thousands of businesses given Commonwealth training.

Turning to the kind of challenges he has faced since 2000, Mr McKinnon made particular mention of the situations in Zimbabwe, Fiji Islands, Pakistan, negotiations over the Doha trade round, and the Commonwealth’s continued concerns over its funding levels. “Nothing in this job is as demanding as dealing with member countries who veer away from those well signposted Commonwealth values and principles of governance,” he said.

Mr McKinnon then summarised how he felt the Commonwealth was stronger in four ways. “We are stronger as an organisation of values; stronger as an organisation of our times; stronger in our focus on and results for those who need us most; and stronger as an organisation that looks out on the world, and works with others to meet its many challenges.”

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