The future of the Commonwealth

Etoile submission influences UK Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee report

by Martin Roche, Etoile Partner

London 15th November | The UK House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee published the findings and recommendations of its hearings into the role and future of the Commonwealth, from the point of view of the United Kingdom. Etoile had submitted written evidence to the Committee. The essence of our case, which is strongly echoed in the Committee’s report, is that while the Commonwealth is rightly highly valued in diplomatic, political and sporting circles, its core values are little understood, even by elites (the Committee cites Etoile’s Populus survey of senior 100 UK influencers. See page 24) and huge numbers of citizens in member countries lack any clear understanding of its values and function or its relevance in their lives.

We made two fundamental proposals:

1. Turn the Commonwealth into a global democratic foundation:
with the mandate to speak for democracy and the common man in a way that no other international organisation can. It is the “North” and the “South”, the “East” and the “West”, it straddles both hemispheres and contains 30% of the world’s population. As such it is uniquely equipped to offer examples of a multiple versions of democracy, not just the “western” model with all its historical baggage, which may have limited appeal or relevance to other emerging economies/states. It thus has the potential to be a great force for good in the 21st century in a world where democracy cannot be taken for granted.

2. Build it into a growing economic development force in the world:
There are many diverse economic philosophies to be found across the Commonwealth and it would be naïve to imagine that the Commonwealth might rally round a single economic dogma, but all want economic success to improve the well-being of their people and assist many to escape from poverty. Etoile would endorse moves to build structures and processes that generated far more trade and investment— and accompanying development—across and between Commonwealth countries, and indeed other countries not currently members of the Commonwealth, than is currently the case.

In its summary, the Committee noted:

“The Commonwealth has appeared less active and less publicly visible in recent years and there is evidence that it is missing opportunities to influence events. The Commonwealth Secretariat must sharpen, strengthen and promote its diplomatic performance.
The Commonwealth must speak with greater unity in the international community;

• there is a growing perception that the Commonwealth has become indifferent because it fails to stand up for the values that it has declared as fundamental to its existence

• on issues such as development, trade and investment, climate change and global pandemics, the Commonwealth is in danger of becoming immaterial as beleaguered nations look elsewhere for the help they need, and

• the work programme assigned to the Commonwealth Secretariat requires critical review with the objective of concentrating on priority matters that will bring the greatest benefit to the people of the Commonwealth.”

Etoile was not alone in expressing concerns about how the Commonwealth positions itself and communicates across the globe. We were however the only geopolitical and communications consultancy to submit evidence and ideas to the Committee and the clarity, robustness and sense of our analysis and recommendations resonates in the Committee’s report. Commonwealth nations account for 30% of the world’s population and include huge economies such as India and the UK and many of the world’s fastest growing economies in Africa. Etoile believes the Commonwealth is rich in potential as a force for democracy and peace and as an instrument of global trade and greater economic stability. But time is short. The Commonwealth has to win the support and relevance of many millions of people worldwide and do it soon before minds find new places to rest. The Commonwealth must communicate better, stand up boldly for its core values and reach out to a world hungry for its message of democracy, rule of law, peace, stability, human rights, mutually beneficial economic progress and the brotherhood of man.

That’s surely something worth doing very well and doing soon.

NOTE: Etoile’s submission to the Committee was written by Graham Barr, Roger Cartwright, Ron Hepburn and Martin Roche.