Charter of the Commonwealth

The Charter of the Commonwealth is a charter setting out the values of the Commonwealth of Nations as well as the commitment of its 53 member states to equal rights, democracy and so on. It was proposed at the 2011 CHOGM in Perth, Australia, adopted on 19 December 2012 and officially signed by Queen Elizabeth II at Marlborough House, London, on the Commonwealth Day on 11 March 2013.

A total of sixteen core beliefs are drawn up in the charter, namely, democracy, human rights, international peace and security, tolerance, respect and understanding, freedom of expression, separation of powers, rule of law, good governance, sustainable development, protecting the environment, access to health, education, food and shelter, gender equality, importance of young people in the Commonwealth, recognition of the needs of the small states, recognition of the needs of the vulnerable states, and lastly, the role of civil society.

References

Full text of the Charter of the Commonwealth
- (11 March 2013)
- HM Queen Elizabeth II to mark Commonwealth Day with signing of historic Charter (8 March 2013)
- Charter heralds new era for Commonwealth (19 December 2012)

Key documents of the Commonwealth of Nations

Balfour Declaration (1926) Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927 (1927) Statute of Westminster (1931) London Declaration (1949) Singapore Declaration (1971) Lusaka Declaration (1979) Langkawi Declaration (1989) Harare Declaration (1991) Millbrook Action Programme (1995) Edinburgh Declaration (1997) Perth Agreement (2011) Charter of the Commonwealth (2013)

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