Canada and the Commonwealth

On this page

• History
• Mandate and institutions
• Intergovernmental organizations
• Commonwealth Secretariat
• Commonwealth of Learning
• Commonwealth Foundation

History

The modern Commonwealth is a values-based association of 56 countries, most with historic links to the United Kingdom and home to over 2.5 billion people over five continents.

Canada first joined the British Commonwealth as an independent state in 1931. The modern Commonwealth came into existence in 1949 with the London Declaration, and Canada has played an important role in its evolution.

Queen Elizabeth II served as the Head of Commonwealth during her 70-year reign, a role which has now passed to King Charles III.

Canadian diplomat Arnold Smith served as the first Commonwealth Secretary-General from 1965 to 1975. The current Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, is the sixth Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, chosen in 2015, and is the first woman to hold the post.

Mandate and institutions

The mandate of the Commonwealth is to serve the needs of its member governments and their citizens in political, economic and social development. The Commonwealth also provides a forum for deliberation, problem solving, consensual decision-making and action on matters of importance to its membership.

The Commonwealth advocates for small and vulnerable states, helping to strengthen their climate and financial resilience and inclusion in the global order.

Canada participates in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which is held every two years. CHOGM leaders review the progress on commitments, discuss matters of mutual interest and provide direction to the organization. Canada hosted CHOGM twice, in 1973 in Ottawa and in 1987 in Vancouver. The most recent CHOGM was held in 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda. During this event, Prime Minister Trudeau drove action on issues such as food insecurity, climate change, and gender inequality.

The next CHOGM will take place in Apia, Samoa in October 2024. Among their priorities, Heads will select a new Secretary-General.

Since 2022, Canada has been a member of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), a rotating group of nine Commonwealth foreign ministers that addresses country situations and recommends measures for upholding Commonwealth Charter values, including democracy and human rights.

The 56 members of the Commonwealth celebrate Commonwealth Day on every second Monday of March. This year’s Commonwealth Day theme – “One Resilient Common Future” – is especially relevant given the Commonwealth’s contributions against climate change and toward international peace and security and more prosperous economies. It is also the theme for CHOGM 2024.

Within the Government of Canada, Global Affairs Canada acts as the lead for Canada’s overall relationship with the Commonwealth, joined by other government departments, reflecting the organization’s actions in diverse areas, such as climate change and the environment, education, gender equality, ocean sustainability, democracy, freedom of expression, and the rule of law.

Intergovernmental organizations

The Commonwealth includes 3 intergovernmental organizations:

1. the Commonwealth Secretariat
2. the Commonwealth Foundation
3. the Commonwealth of Learning

Canada is the second largest donor to the Commonwealth and is contributing a total of $14.14 million to the organizations in 2023-2024.

Commonwealth Secretariat

Established in 1965, the Commonwealth Secretariat:

• convenes summits and high-level meetings
• executes plans of the Commonwealth Heads of Government
• promotes Commonwealth values and principles
• facilitates the work of the Commonwealth organizations as defined in its strategic plan
• coordinates several election monitoring missions each year

The Secretary-General uses her good offices to support democratic processes and to prevent or help resolve conflicts.

In 2023-2024, Canada contributed $8.26 million to the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Commonwealth of Learning

The Commonwealth of Learning focuses on strengthening institutions in Commonwealth countries that are striving to provide affordable education to larger numbers of their people. It is a global leader and champion in the use of open, distance and technology-based learning as a cost-effective development tool to provide access to quality education and skills for employment opportunities, the empowerment of women and children, and to reduce poverty and inequality.

Canada is the Commonwealth of Learning’s host (located in Burnaby, British Columbia) and largest donor. In addition to core funding, Canada currently supports the Commonwealth of Learning to implement a project called Empowering Women and Girls in the Commonwealth. This initiative promotes gender equality and provides education and skills for livelihood training to 75,000 women and girls, allowing them to better support themselves and their families, and contributing to reducing poverty in their communities.

In 2023-2024, Canada contributed $4.6 million to the Commonwealth of Learning.

Commonwealth Foundation

The Commonwealth Foundation is dedicated to supporting the active participation of Commonwealth citizens in all aspects of their governance, nurturing the growth of vibrant and free civil societies in all Commonwealth countries, and advancing the principles and ideals of the Commonwealth. It does so by focusing on the three areas of health justice, climate justice and freedom of expression, while constantly working towards gender equality, responding to the specific needs of small and vulnerable states, and involving young people.

In 2023-2024, Canada contributed $1.29 million to the Commonwealth Foundation.