India and the Commonwealth

The London Declaration of 1949 established the modern Commonwealth. In 1965,
the Commonwealth Secretariat was established in London, which became the
association's independent civil service, headed by a Secretary-General.
2. India is the largest member state of the Commonwealth, with nearly 60% of the total
population of the association. It is the fifth largest contributor to the Commonwealth budget
and programmes. It provides the largest number of technical experts engaged by the
Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation extending assistance to developing
Commonwealth countries after the UK. India is a member of key Commonwealth bodies,
including the Steering Committee on Commonwealth Action Programme for the Digital
Divide (now renamed Commonwealth Connects), the Standing Committee on Terrorism,
Commonwealth Advisory Board on Sports as well as the Executive, Accreditation and
Grant Committees of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Board of Governors.
3. India hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in 1983 in
New Delhi. India hosted the annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference
in 1957, 1975, 1991 and September 2007. India successfully hosted the Commonwealth
Youth Games in Pune in October 2008, Conference of Commonwealth Speakers and
Presiding Officers in January, 2010 and will host the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New
Delhi.
4. The present Commonwealth Secretary General, Shri Kamalesh Sharma assumed
office on April 1, 2008. He is the first Indian to be selected as the Secretary General of the
Commonwealth.
5. India’s contribution to the Commonwealth
a) India has contributed an amount of Euro 1 million to the Commonwealth Connects
Programme over the period 2006-09, as announced by Hon'ble PM at Malta
CHOGM in 2005.
b) India has increased its contribution to the Commonwealth Fund for Technical
Cooperation (CFTC) to £ 1 million in 2009-10.
c) In keeping with its commitment to the mandate, approved by the Commonwealth
Youth Ministers in the Bahamas in May 2006, Government of India has proposed to
undertake the responsibility for upgrading the physical infrastructure of the
Commonwealth Youth Programme Asia Centre in Chandigarh and the Rajiv Gandhi
National Institute of Youth Development, Sriperambadur, which is estimated to cost
approximately £ 1 million.
d) India has decided to increase its contribution to the Commonwealth Joint office for
Small States Permanent Missions in New York to US$ 100,000 p.a. from 2007-08
and also initiated annual contributions for a new Small States Joint Office in Geneva
in 2010.
e) India supported and ensured approval of US $ 260,000 by the UN Democracy Fund
through its Advisory Board to the Commonwealth Local Government Forum for its
project on Councillor training for local democracy and good governance in South
Asia.
f) In the 60th Anniversary Year of the Modern Commonwealth in 2009, India
commemorated the event by release of a commemorative Stamps/First day covers
and commemorative coins which was distributed among the Commonwealth
leaders during the last CHOGM in Port of Spain in November 2009.
g) In 2010-11, India will be providing 250 slots under International Technical and
Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme specifically for Commonwealth
countries.
h) India has contributed US$ 120,000 to the Commonwealth Media Development Fund
for the period 2009-11.
Commonwealth’s Significance to India:
6. India has a natural partnership with the Commonwealth. It is a community of English
speaking countries. It has a preponderance of developing countries who want to promote
South-South cooperation. It is an association which puts a premium on democracy and
good governance, where India has so much to share with others. It provides a platform to
interact and build consensus with a very diverse group of countries, including G-8
countries like the UK and Canada, developing countries as well as Small Sates.
7. The Commonwealth is a unique international grouping with bulk of its membership
coming from 32 Small States/Island States. There is a great degree of genuine
appreciation among these States for India as the largest and a vibrant democracy and for
the high-technology advancement and economic progress India has achieved in the past
two decades.
8. A large number of Commonwealth countries also have a sizeable Indian population.
The promotion, maintenance and strengthening of healthy democratic institutions and rule
of law in these countries is relevant to India.
9. Though the UN remains the principal forum for multilateral action, the Commonwealth
is eminently placed in addressing many issues through its unique style of functioning which
is consensus-building, informality and goodwill. The informal ways in which dialogue is
conducted and decisions arrived at in the Commonwealth bodies provide a very good
basis for addressing common concerns on relevant international issues.