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The mission statement of the Commonwealth Secretariat, the central organising organ of the activities of the Commonwealth, says that:
We work as a trusted partner for all Commonwealth people as a force for peace, democracy, equality and good governance; a catalyst for global consensus-building; and a source of assistance for sustainable development and poverty eradication.
This is an all-round statement whose targets are a dream for any country that seeks to build a democratic society with an economy that is vibrant and that caters for everybody in an equitable manner. The statement contains all the ideals we hear from different quarters – whether the United Nations (UN) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and its wider agenda in general, the African Union ( AU) and its Constitutive Act or the East African Community ( EAC) and its Treaty and so on. This forum has principles which, if followed, could make a difference, in many ways, to the diverse situations that exist in the Commonwealth itself. However, these good ideals are bogged down by other facts about the forum, which include the lack of a charter or constitution, the fact that it is a voluntary “club” which members can join or quit as they wish, and the lack of enforcement powers when it comes to sanctions and the like. |
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