Hon’ble Foreign Minister Dr. Dipu Moni, 

Mr. Farid Hussain, President, Media Initiative for Public Policy,

Excellencies, 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I compliment Media Initiative for Public Policy (MIPP) for organising this roundtable discussion on ‘Modernization and Reform of the Commonwealth’. The topic of modernization is relevant for any organisation and the Commonwealth is no exception. This initiative is also timely as the next Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is scheduled to take place next month in Trinidad & Tobago. I wish to thank them for the invitation to participate at this morning’s discussion. 

Challenges: 

Sixty years after the creation of the new Commonwealth, the world is different today than what it was sixty years ago. The challenges it faces are different, and the Commonwealth has a significant role to play to face today’s challenges. Hence the need for reform and modernisation. Decolonization has been achieved. Apartheid regimes were broken down. The world economy has become more global. Despite a closer and globalised world, myriad challenges remain. They threaten to dislocate and strain peace, amity and friendly relations between and amongst peoples, societies and nations. Conflicts, civil wars, pestilence, illiteracy, hunger, disease and poverty pose formidable challenges to the stability of the world order. 

The global financial crisis and its impact on members of the Commonwealth have been significant given the fact that 49 of the Commonwealth’s 53 members are developing countries. Food scarcity has affected several economies within the Commonwealth. Energy security is another challenge that calls upon countries to cooperate closely. There are other crises that are quietly taking their toll. HIV/AIDS is widely prevalent amongst the 1.8 billion population of the Commonwealth. Hunger and malnourishment is rife. The bane of illiteracy is yet to be eradicated. Grinding and inexorable poverty is pervasive. And importantly, gender equality is still a chimera. 

Above all, terrorism is a grave crisis threatening societies everywhere, including those in the Commonwealth. Overcoming them is a Herculean task and no one nation can do it alone. Commonwealth as a cooperative institution should evolve common frameworks to tackle them. 

Reforms:

The High Level Review Group constituted at the 1999 CHOGM to review the role of Commonwealth and advise on how best it could respond to challenges of the new century made several recommendations to reform the Commonwealth, its units as well as their functioning. The recommendations seek to improve assistance programmes, conflict prevention and resolution, promotion of fundamental political values, enhancing economic and developmental role of Commonwealth. It also made several suggestions to reform the Commonwealth’s governance and structures and people to people contact. 

The leaders of the Commonwealth should get together with common political will and draw up the architecture and common vision for the Commonwealth. Over the years, the fundamental strengths of the Commonwealth have helped it grow and become increasingly relevant within a rapidly changing world order. The Commonwealth has no charter unlike most intergovernmental institutions. It works through consensual collectivism. Simplicity and absence of bureaucratic structures is an added advantage. These should be brought to bear on its future work. 

There is a need for result-oriented and pragmatic initiatives that positively impact the lives of peoples of the Commonwealth on the ground. Besides consolidating the gains made so far, the roadmap should be charted out to make the Organisation relevant and useful to the people at grass root level. 

More than a third of the 1.8 billion population within the Commonwealth live in poverty. The Commonwealth needs to take a more proactive role in spearheading the improvement in the quality of lives of its people in conjunction with national authorities and other multi-national organisations. 

Trade is an area which could be a driver for prosperity. Trade amongst the Commonwealth countries based on comparative advantage could lead to mutually beneficial wealth creation in the Commonwealth. Industries and enterprise within the Commonwealth would benefit from a platform where they can exchange information, find out about others, negotiate opportunities, and essentially link up with one another. 

Before I conclude, let me state that India was instrumental in the formation of the modern Commonwealth in 1949. Being a member of key Commonwealth bodies and having consistently and significantly contributed, India has always argued for reform of international institutions, including the Commonwealth. We are committed to the Commonwealth’s role of nurturing sense of belonging to a shared past and destiny based on common values. We believe that the Commonwealth is a forum that is uniquely placed to harness the strength and diversity of its members by cooperating with each other and address global challenges facing us.

Thank you.