The Commonwealth in the 21st century

Date: 23 Oct 2004
Speaker: Secretary-General Don McKinnon
Location: Institute of Regional Studies, Islamabad, Pakistan

I would like to thank the Institute of Regional Studies for inviting me to come and speak to you today.

It is a pleasure to speak under the auspices of the Institute, which is one of several think-tanks in this country.

I am conscious of the intellectual and diplomatic fire-power assembled in this room.

This is my first visit since Pakistan was reinstated to the councils of the Commonwealth and I'm very pleased to be here.

Pakistan has always been an important member of the Commonwealth family, ever since its independence in 1947.

It is an integral part of Commonwealth diversity. Its rich heritage contributes to the multiple strands of culture, knowledge and human experience that make up the Commonwealth.

There are close to 500 million Muslims in the Commonwealth, and nearly a third of them live in Pakistan. Muslims are an integral and vital part of Commonwealth diversity. They add to our common wealth and to the organisation's weight on the international scene.

Muslims also play a key role in strengthening the network of co-operation and partnerships that lies at the heart of the Commonwealth venture. The Commonwealth is not merely a juxtaposition of nations or even of different cultural and religious communities. It is a global forum for sharing ideas, exchanging knowledge and establishing a cultural dialogue among equal partners.

So the Commonwealth is enriched by Pakistan's membership. And in turn, Pakistan stands to benefit from the Commonwealth.

We will continue to help Pakistan develop its democratic institutions and deepen good governance. And we will continue to provide assistance for the social and economic development of the country.

1. Pakistan and the modern Commonwealth

Pakistan benefits from the Commonwealth in a number of ways.

The Commonwealth partnership revolves around three common principles all Commonwealth Nations strive to support and strengthen: Democracy, Development and Diversity - or the 3 Ds.

Democracy: The Commonwealth promotes democratic principles by observing elections at the request of member states, by creating or strengthening institutions which safeguard the Harare values, by promoting transparency and accountability in public life, by sharing best practice among Commonwealth countries.

We also help promote these values and prevent conflicts through our "good offices" work.

Development: We promote socio-economic development in our member countries by enabling them to share skills and knowledge.

Diversity: 53 member states spanning every continent, countries of all sizes, at all stages of development, representing a multiplicity of religious and cultural groups. We see diversity as a tool to promote a spirit of understanding and tolerance.

Let me now dwell a bit more on each of the 3 Ds.

2. Democracy: a Commonwealth imperative

One of the key features of the Commonwealth is that it is an organisation based on shared values and principles.

These are outlined in the 1991 Harare Declaration. They include the protection and promotion of democracy, the rule of law, good governance, equality for women, sustainable development and universal access to education.

But our leaders felt that it was not enough simply to declare their commitment to a set of fundamental political principles. They thought it was important to show that the Commonwealth actually lived up to these principles.

CMAG

So in 1995, they decided to set up the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group on the Harare Declaration (CMAG). This "democracy watchdog", which consists of nine Foreign Ministers, is empowered with measures to deal with serious or persistent violations of the Harare Principles.

I know that CMAG is a sensitive subject in Pakistan, as Pakistan has itself been the object of CMAG's attention and action. But CMAG is what distinguishes the Commonwealth from other organisations, what gives it greater political and moral stature in the international community.

CMAG ensures that the Commonwealth does not confine itself to paying lip service to the values of democracy, fundamental human rights and the rule of law.

It is not Pakistan alone which has engaged the attention of CMAG. Several other countries have done so in the past. All have emerged with better credentials in the community of democracies.

The mandate of CMAG was broadened two years ago, when leaders decided that countries could be suspended not only when a constitutionally elected government had been overthrown, but also when there were serious or persistent violations of Commonwealth fundamental principles in other ways.

The Commonwealth has been a trailblazer in this regard and CMAG remains the only mechanism of its kind among international organisations. It is encouraging that other bodies - such as the African Union, the Pacific Forum and La Francophonie - now seem to be moving in the same direction.

It is interesting to note that every country which has left, or been suspended, has sought to come back; we hope this will also be the case with Zimbabwe.

An important decision reached at the last CHOGM further strengthened the Commonwealth's hand in promoting democratic principles: leaders agreed on guidelines for implementing the Commonwealth's fundamental values by all branches of government. These principles - known as the "Latimer House Guidelines" - set out a framework for responsibility, transparency and accountability in the three branches of government - Parliament, the Executive an the Judiciary.

Good Offices in action

The role of CMAG and the Latimer House Guidelines illustrate how the Commonwealth promotes democratic values throughout its membership. This work, based on a long-term approach, aims at supporting democracy as an effective bulwark against conflict and violence.

In cases when urgent action is required, we use our good offices to help resolve crises before they degenerate into violent conflict.

The Commonwealth is strategically placed to play an increasing role in helping prevent and solve conflicts. Here's why:

First, most conflicts today are within states rather than between states. The Commonwealth only intervenes at the request or with the consent of a member country. Our approach is based on building trust between the parties involved, acting with discretion and sensitivity.

Second, many conflicts today grow out of ethnic or religious tensions. The Commonwealth, with its experience in managing diversity and generating consensus, is well suited to help find a common ground of understanding between warring parties.

Third, many countries facing internal conflicts are often reluctant to accept outside assistance as they perceive it as a threat to their national sovereignty. The Commonwealth has no battalions and therefore does not intervene militarily. It uses the force of argument rather than the argument of force to help opposing parties pull back from the brink and bring them to the negotiating table. As Winston Churchill famously said: "to jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war". That belief is also at the centre of the Commonwealth purpose.

The Commonwealth's good offices role was reinforced last year with the establishment of a Good Offices Section in the Secretariat's Political Affairs Division. In addition to serving as an early warning mechanism and putting forward measures for preventive action, the Good Offices Section co-ordinates a more integrated approach towards conflict situations, working in partnership with other organisations.

3. Economic development as an antidote to conflict

But peace and stability are not only achieved through efforts at the political and diplomatic levels.

Sound economic development and strong trade relations can prove powerful ingredients of stability and antidotes to conflict.

If the stability of your economy and the well-being of your population depend on trading with your neighbour, you will think twice about going to war with them.

European leaders, after the Second World War, understood this very well: with the establishment of the European Economic Community, they decided to link their economies together through trade so they wouldn't go to war again.

But trade will only work as a force for peace if it is fair.

Ending trade apartheid

For many years, developing countries have been told that the only way to prosperity was through trade liberalisation.

But while poor countries have heeded this advice and removed many of their trade barriers, many developed countries failed to reciprocate. In precisely those sectors where developing countries have a comparative advantage, such as agriculture and textiles, developed countries have protected themselves through both tariff and non-tariff barriers, and extensive systems of domestic subsidies resulting in dumped exports.

We all know that the single greatest thing advanced nations could do to help developing countries would be to give them access to their markets. According to Horst Köhler, the former Managing Director of the IMF, himself: "protectionism in industrial countries is the core problem in the fight against poverty."

The World Bank has estimated that a deal to open up rich countries' markets to poor nations could lift up to 144 million people out of poverty by 2015.

The current trade talks - the Doha Round - are behind schedule but are heading in a positive direction. The negotiators are back at the table after a framework was signed by WTO members last month. It should provide greater trade opportunities for all countries. But developing countries might still find it difficult to seize those opportunities.

There are ongoing needs and the Commonwealth is playing its part. For instance, we are working with the European Commission on a 17 million euros "Hubs and Spokes" project to provide firmer foundations in developing countries for trade negotiating.

Even more positive is that the US and EU have now said they are willing, finally, to abandon agriculture trade subsidies. But there is also a new and real danger that the export industries of small and vulnerable countries will be swept away by the forces of global markets when trade barriers come down.

The solution is to ensure that liberalisation is not introduced radically, but is carefully paced and sequenced. If not, the poor and vulnerable countries will be like dinghies pushed out into a stormy ocean: the dinghies may be free to go where they want, but they may not survive after leaving port.

It is in everyone's interest to tackle these problems. First, because trade is the most effective way of fighting global poverty. Moreover, by giving developing nations a fair chance to trade, rich countries reduce the need for development assistance. Oxfam estimates that an increase in Africa's share of world exports of just 1% would be worth five times more than the aid it receives.

Second, phasing out subsidies would reduce real cost of products to consumers in the developed world.

And third - perhaps most importantly - cutting subsidies and allowing developing countries to trade their way out of poverty would bring more stability to the world. Living in an interdependent world, we must recognise that tackling global poverty is not only a moral imperative, but also a political one. We can't make the world more stable and more secure if we don't start by making it more just.

Development: creating opportunities

We also promote development through our Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation (CFTC).

In spite of operating on a very limited budget, the CFTC remains a very flexible tool which enables it to respond to the needs of member countries quickly and efficiently.

Projects include, for example:

Advising governments on how to attract investment to exploit natural resources. In the petroleum sector, for instance, we helped the Government of Namibia negotiate agreements with international oil companies for offshore exploration projects worth over US$100 million.

Through our Debt Recording and Management System, we help our members manage debt flows and improve transparency. This system is currently used by 53 countries and has been translated by La Francophonie for use among its membership.

Youth enterprise: we helped 500 young people set up their business by providing training and brokering funds. Three-quarters of those who benefited are women.

Commonwealth Private Investment Initiative: we raised more than US$200 million for projects in our developing member countries in Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific and South Asia.

Public sector reform: 6,000 public officials benefited from training in managerial skills to improve delivery of public services.

Youth Ambassadors for Positive Living: young people living with HIV who educate others about AIDS prevention. Nearly 200 Commonwealth Youth Ambassadors operating in 6 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Asia.

Training journalists: we helped train 750 media professionals from 40 Commonwealth countries.

These are just a few illustrative examples of the work we do.

4. Diversity makes us all stronger

As a multilateral organisation, the Commonwealth is ideally placed to help countries work through their differences in a spirit of partnership and collaboration.

The Commonwealth is a unique forum for global diplomacy and joint decision-making, where the views of all members are listened to and no single country has the upper hand.

Unlike other organisations, there is no voting procedure in the Commonwealth. All decisions are taken by consensus.

This inclusive process means that everyone is party to the final decision and no one is left out in the cold.

In other words, the Commonwealth, by embracing a broad diversity of countries - rich and poor, large and small, island and land-locked - can offer a real alternative to unilateral forms of decision-making.

5. Fighting terrorism

Pakistan is not only a key member of the Commonwealth, it also has a major role to play on the global scene today, as it is at the forefront of the fight against terror.

Today, no country, no matter how big or small or remote, can escape the scourge of terrorism.

And it is useful to remember that extremism and extremist violence are not the monopoly of one single group of people. Fanaticism can be found in every religion, every faith: Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, as well as Islam.

That is why we all share a responsibility to fight extremism, wherever it manifests itself, whatever form it takes.

In an interdependent world, where our destinies are closely linked, where events in one country can have ripple effects thousands of miles away, there is no place for extremist ideologies. The world is simply not big enough for everyone to think they're 100% right all the time.

The Commonwealth is not a newcomer in the fight against terror.

We have been working for a very long time to tackle money laundering and cut the money supplies of terrorists: as early as 1966, the London Scheme sought to promote co-operation in the fight against terrorism by facilitating extradition procedure between member countries.

And in 1986, the Harare Scheme dealt with seizing and confiscating proceeds of crime.

In the wake of 11 September, Commonwealth leaders issued a very strong statement and since then, we have been assisting our members - particularly our smaller and less developed states - in their efforts to meet their obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 1373, which imposes an international legal obligation on all states to co-operate against terrorists.

And a recent meeting of Law Ministers from Small Commonwealth Jurisdictions, in London, discussed how to implement effective border controls to prevent the movement of terrorists.

Of course, we cannot root out terrorism without addressing its root causes. We cannot create a stable world when global inequalities are increasing, when 1.4 billion people do not have access to clean water, when 130 million children have no schools to go to, when 24,000 people die of hunger every day. No one in the world can have a secure future when half the world has no future at all.

Terrorists rely on interdependence to ensure their actions cause maximum damage to the civilised world as a whole. For our part, we must use interdependence as a force for good and co-operate with all our partners to combat indoctrination, fanaticism and extremist ideologies. With its diverse membership, the Commonwealth is particularly well suited to assist in this task - and Pakistan has a key role to play.

Conclusion

Let me leave you with the thought that in today's troubled world - troubles of which Pakistan is so painfully aware - the Commonwealth is a relevant, credible and effective instrument of multilateral dialogue and co-operation.

An organisation which gives each of its members - large and small, rich and poor, island and landlocked - an equal voice.

One which functions on the basis of consensus and where tyrannies either of the majority or of the minority do not operate.

One whose vision revolves around bridging divides and building a secure future for all our citizens.

It is in that Commonwealth that Pakistan has resumed its rightful place.

Together we can work to create a meaningful and enduring partnership.

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