Towards a common future for the Commonwealth countries  

Curtain has now fallen on the 25th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London. The two-day summit, held on April 19-20, has concluded with the adoption of a 'communiqué' and a "leaders' statement". The leaders, including Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, have pledged to "work together to foster a fairer, more secure, more sustainable and more prosperous future" for the benefit of all commonwealth citizens. The CHOGM's adoption of the 'Commonwealth Blue Charter' for sustainable development of oceans and the 'Cyber Declaration' that sets out a common commitment to an open, democratic, peaceful and secure internet by respecting human rights and freedom of expression, is one of its positive outcomes.

Likewise, its declaration on the 'Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda for Trade and Investment' is well-purported; it lays emphasis on sharing of the best practices and experiences, and extending mutual support for enabling the member-countries to realise their potential. Agreement has further been reached on working towards an appropriate framework for facilitating business-to-business (B2B) contacts. Meanwhile, the heads of government have expressed their concern over the protectionist risks to the global economy while underscoring the importance of resisting all kinds of protectionism. In this context, they have renewed their commitment to free trade under a transparent, inclusive, fair and rules-based multilateral system. Besides, they have noted the special needs of the least developed countries as well as small, vulnerable economies, but without making any specific commitment. Much will now depend on how actions proceed to translate their goals into reality.

It is particularly significant for Bangladesh that the CHOGM has duly underscored the importance of sustainable return of all displaced Rohingyas to their homes in Myanmar under UNHCR supervision with their safety, security and dignity ensured; it has pressed for implementation of the recommendations of Kofi Annan Commission for addressing the root causes of the Rohingya crisis. The Commonwealth leaders have commended the role of Bangladesh in providing shelter to more than one million refugees from the Rakhine state of Myanmar.

The CHOGM has also endorsed a revised guideline for the Conduct of Election Observation. This has been made, particularly on consideration of the valuable and supportive role the Commonwealth Elections Observation can play in improving democratic processes and institutions in the member-countries. There is no denying that the Commonwealth, as a grouping of 54 countries spanning the continents of Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas and the Pacific, is still relevant in the global arena since its formation in the middle of the 20th century.

It is pertinent to consider here the question of the Commonwealth's renewal and reform against the backdrop of a fast changing global scenario in the 21st century. The narrow nationalistic, protectionist, extremist and anti-globalisation tendencies currently sweeping across various corners of the globe do also need to be addressed. And all these have to be done in a concerted and coordinated manner by all concerned, including the Commonwealth. In this context, the formation of a 'High Level Group' to review the full governance arrangements of the Commonwealth Secretariat is welcome. The CHOGM has asked the 'High Level Group' to submit a report on Commonwealth reforms before the September 2018 meeting of its foreign ministers. All concerned would, at this stage, hope that the foreign ministers would then move forward pro-actively to help chart out an action plan for the reform to, renewal and regeneration of the Commonwealth befitting the needs of the 21st century.