Letters to the Editor
View(s):A future for the Commonwealth
I refer to the editorial in the Sunday Times “Disintegrating Commonwealth” of October 20. I found it most interesting. Let me add some thoughts about what the Commonwealth can do in the future.
The Commonwealth summit was held for the first time in London: Prime Ministers like Winston Churchill, Jawaharlal Nehru and D.S. Senanayake attended. That was 75 years ago. From eight members at the time, the number has grown to nearly 50. The world too has changed and the Commonwealth does not have much significance now.
The regional factor is now a more dominant feature in international relations. Members of the Commonwealth belong to various regional groupings which are more important to them now than the Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth Secretariat based in London is experiencing financial difficulties. More than the British government of any time, it was Queen Elizabeth II, who played an active role in keeping the concept of the Commonwealth alive. With her passing away, things are different. Even in 1974 when Britain joined the European Union, it placed little regard on the Commonwealth. Commonwealth preferences in trade were abolished by the then British government.
It is not surprising therefore, that other governments act in a similar way. For Sri Lanka the relationships with India and Japan are more significant than with the UK. Russia is more important to India than the UK. Similarly for other Commonwealth countries. The days of Commonwealth Summits are probably over.
However, in my view there is still a role for the Commonwealth in new non-political directions. The British empire and the Commonwealth in the last 75 years have left a legacy of institutional, professional and academic contacts and similarities which can be productively pursued in the future. I would describe this as the soft power of the Commonwealth.
Among the Commonwealth countries there are a large number of institutions which have developed common practices – in Parliamentary systems of government, in public administration, legal and judicial systems, universities and in professions such as law, medicine, engineering, architecture, accountancy and so on. There is an opportunity to nurture these in the future in the interests of all countries.
There are three or four institutions based in London, which are doing useful work, away from the headlines. I refer to the Commonwealth Foundation, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the Commonwealth Press Institute. These bodies are nurturing contacts among member countries. For example, Sri Lanka’s own Organization of Professional Association (OPA), was sponsored by and partly funded by the Commonwealth Foundation. This has happened in many other countries.
Recently, the Nobel Prize for Economics was awarded to three economists who wrote about the significance of institutions (organisations, systems and rules and procedures in government and society), in economic and social development. The Commonwealth using its soft power instruments could make an important contribution in this direction.
Let me end on a personal note. I attended the Commonwealth Summits held in Kingston, Jamaica in 1975 and in London, in 1977. For the Kingston Summit, I accompanied Prime Minister, Sirimavo Bandaranaike and for the London Summit, Felix Dias Bandaranaike who deputed for the Prime Minister. At the Kingston Summit, the Jamaican government had organised a weekend retreat only for the leaders. Harold Wilson, the British Prime Minister, had suggested that the role of the Cabinet in government be discussed at this retreat.
Mrs. Bandaranaike told us later how much she enjoyed and learned from this discussion. That could have happened only in informal surroundings. This was the Commonwealth displaying its soft power.
Leelananda De Silva Via email
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