THE COMMONWEALTH CHARTER 10 YEARS ON: VALUES AND PRINCIPLES FOR PARLIAMENTS TO UPHOLD
THE CONVENING POWER OF THE COMMONWEALTH A view from the Royal Commonwealth Society. “Throughout the ages, Charters have been seen as special documents, designed with care to stand the test of time. The Charter I will sign today, on behalf of you all, represents a significant milestone as the Commonwealth continues its journey of development and renewal. We now have, for the first time, a single document that captures the core values and aspirations of the Commonwealth and all its members. It will light the path of all those involved in the work of the Commonwealth, and of those who follow in our footsteps. I hope the carefully chosen words of the Charter will reinvigorate efforts, already begun to make the Commonwealth fit and agile for the years ahead, so that it can apply its global wisdom in the hopes and needs of this and future generations.” 1 These were the words of our late Patron Queen Elizabeth II on Commonwealth Day 2013 before signing and ratifying the Commonwealth Charter as Head of the Commonwealth. Earlier this year on Commonwealth Day 2023, His Majesty King Charles III signed this Charter and reaffirmed our collective commitment to this special network. The signing of the Commonwealth Charter was a milestone moment for the Commonwealth, a symbol of the Commonwealth’s modernisation and a wish to be at the forefront of international cooperation. The Charter gave the Commonwealth 16 principles, values and aspirations that would guide its work. Core values included peace, democracy, the rule of law, human rights, gender equality, economic development, freedom of expression, protecting the environment, the importance of young people in the Commonwealth and the role of civil society.2 As the oldest civil society organisation dedicated to the Commonwealth, the Royal Commonwealth Society is committed to improving the lives and prospects of Commonwealth citizens. Our unique position within the Commonwealth family allows us to play a pivotal role in convening and connecting the Commonwealth’s political and diplomatic representatives, civil society, business and youth leaders, on a wide range of issues. The Charter has been a guide as we work towards a better world for all Commonwealth citizens. The Society has focused on issues including gender equality, protecting the environment, championing youth voices and promoting the value and values of the Commonwealth through our events, including the annual Commonwealth Day Service of
Celebration at Westminster Abbey and the High Commissioners’ Banquet, and youth-oriented programmes, most recently with a Commonwealth Youth Exchange Programme. Almost every Commonwealth event and publication contains mention of the significant fact that over 60% of the Commonwealth’s 2.5 billion people are under 30 years of age.3 It is an astonishing statistic that reinforces how many of the world’s future leaders are currently growing up in Commonwealth countries. Listening to the voices of today’s youth, and working to address their concerns, should be important for all the world, but especially the Commonwealth. Because of our longstanding focus on youth leadership, the Royal Commonwealth Society has an ever-growing network of inspiring and engaged young people, who are keen to be involved with the Commonwealth and make a difference. I’m pleased to share some of the practical examples from RCS programmes, centred on youth, that demonstrate how Commonwealth values are utilised to make a positive difference. Literacy The last ten years has seen far greater space given for youth voices, including the Commonwealth Youth Forum at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and the 12 separate networks dedicated to convening and promoting youth leadership in the Commonwealth.4 Deciding that this year, the 10th anniversary of the Commonwealth Charter, would also be the Commonwealth Year of Youth 2023, shows the importance of Article XIII of the Charter for the future success of the Commonwealth’s aims. Youth is central to much of the Royal Commonwealth Society’s work, whether through the inspiring young people who are selected each year to bear their nation’s flag at the Commonwealth Day Service of Celebration, or the community work of the young leaders in our Associate Fellow network, many of whom were originally selected as Queen’s Young Leaders and whose work continues with the RCS. The Commonwealth Charter’s values are certainly evident in our flagship literacy programme, The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition (QCEC), the world’s oldest school writing competition, which for 140 years has offered anyone under 18 years of age the opportunity to express their views on global issues of importance.
Dr Linda Yueh, CBE is Executive Chair of the Royal Commonwealth Society. She is Fellow
in Economics at St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford and Adjunct Professor of Economics at London Business School. She was Visiting Professor at LSE IDEAS and Chair of the LSE Economic Diplomacy Commission. Her latest books are: The Great Crashes: Lessons from Global Meltdowns and How to Prevent Them and The Great Economists: How Their Ideas Can Help Us Today.
230 | The Parliamentarian | 2023: Issue Three | 100 years of publishing