Is the Commonwealth still relevant in the modern world?
Analysis: A network of countries with no discernable mission, or one given new breath in the face of global instability? The relevance of the Commonwealth has long been questioned. Aside from the Commonwealth Games – what, really, is the point?
But, as leaders from 53 nations descend on London, the talk of the town has been Russian aggression and attacks on the international rules-based system through hacking, chemical attacks and the misuse of veto power.
It’s that system that governs the peaceful interaction of countries under the multilateral approach of institutions such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation and the International Court of Justice.
In the wake of an attack using a military-grade nerve agent on an former Russian spy in Salisbury, England, the chemical attack on civilians in the Syrian town of Douma by their own regime and Russian cyber attacks on a number of countries, as well as interference in the 2016 American presidential election, leaders are united in their belief the system the world operates under faces attack.
So what would New Zealand, for example, have in common with Jamaica?
Maybe not a lot, concedes Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, but forging ties with new countries is not a bad thing.
‘‘Regardless of the origin of the platform, whether it’s the East Asia Summit, or Apec or CHOGM, my view is that now more than ever, these international fora provide a really important opportunity to develop consensus around important issues.’
In light of Brexit, the United Kingdom is taking an increased interest in the Commonwealth’s functions, which could prove fruitful as New Zealand prepares to negotiate a free-trade deal with Britain.
As a small country, New Zealand relies heavily on the rulesbased system keeping the world stable. One obvious counter to any threat is to seek new multilateral trade agreements.
‘‘In this environment, multilateral agreements are going to be key for us,’’ said Ardern.
Of the Commonwealth’s 53 member states, 31 are small and most are Small Island Developing States – many Pacific islands in which New Zealand has an interest.
They, too, are dependent on an international rules-based system.
British High Commissioner to New Zealand Laura Clark said that seeming disparity between member countries could be its greatest asset.
‘‘What makes the Commonwealth unique is it’s spread around the world. It’s a combination of some of the fastestgrowing economies in the world; there are five G20 countries there, it’s also got about 31 very small or vulnerable states and in a way I think the strength of the Commonwealth is in its diversity.
At the opening, the Queen made the same point – that the Commonwealth’s power lies in its stretch – covering 2.4 billion people.
The preservation of international peace and prosperity against global destabilisation was a principle all Commonwealth members agreed on, she said.
New Zealand is one of the powerful Five Eyes countries – the world’s biggest surveillance network including the UK, the United States, Canada and Australia.
All bar the US are Commonwealth countries and used CHOGM to hold a formal meeting on the sidelines. A declaration on security monitoring is an expected outcome of the forum.
The other common enemy is climate change and CHOGM leaders, including the UK’s Theresa May, have laid the groundwork for the Blue Charter.
It would apply the 16 principles and values of the Commonwealth Charter to the oceans, including environmental protection, good governance, justice and peace, human rights, gender equality, and recognition of vulnerable nations’s and young people’s needs.
With New Zealand’s territorial waters one of the biggest exclusive economic zones in the world, ‘‘it’s a good forum for us to show some leadership’’, said Ardern.
Nevertheless, the summit was by far the least important entry in her European schedule, so the theme, ‘‘towards a common future’’, doesn’t really mean much.
But the point might be that now, more than ever, it could.