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Commonwealth Promotion of Democracy
The Commonwealth contributes to international efforts to promote democracy and prevent conflict. Leaders are committed to uphold the "Harare Principles" or standards of democracy, good governance and human rights as agreed to at the Harare CHOGM in 1991. The Commonwealth reinforces the Harare Principles at the political level through the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), a group of nine foreign ministers that meets to discuss serious threats to democracy in Commonwealth countries. CMAG then recommends Commonwealth action to restore democratic processes.
The Commonwealth Secretary-General also promotes democracy through quiet diplomacy, called "Good Offices", to try to defuse potential conflict and to support democratic processes in Commonwealth countries. The Secretary-General's Good Offices are an effective means to address potentially volatile situations quickly and quietly, particularly when undertaken in a low-key and confidential manner. The prestige of the Secretary-General and the Commonwealth can facilitate the successful resolution of difficult problems, and the Secretary-General is often seen as an unbiased presence whose only goal is a peaceful and equitable solution.
The Commonwealth provides independent analysis on the credibility of key national and local elections by sending small election-observation teams of 10-15 eminent persons to member countries upon request. The Commonwealth usually sends teams to several elections per year. The teams meet with election management bodies, political parties and civil society before observing polls and counting stations on election days. Each Commonwealth Observer Group is preceded by an advance group that considers the background to the election and monitors voter registration and election management. After the election, the Observer Group issues a report commenting on the credibility of the process and the election result. Recent Commonwealth election observation missions include: Mozambique (2009), Ghana (2008), Maldives (2008), Swaziland (2008), Belize (2008), Bangladesh (2008), Papua New Guinea (2008), Sierra Leone (2007), Nigeria (2007), Lesotho (2007) and Kenya (2007).
Through the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation (CFTC), the Commonwealth operates a number of small technical assistance programs aimed at improving democracy, governance and human rights in member countries. To do so, the Commonwealth Secretariat provides expert advice, models legislation, runs workshops and regularly sends experts to member countries for training purposes.
Canada supports the Commonwealth and its democracy building programs through our annual contributions to the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation. Canada also provided a special contribution of $400,000 in 2009/10 to supplement the costs of the Secretary-General's Good Offices work and election observation missions.
Canada and Canadians have been actively involved in the Commonwealth's democracy work. Former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Christine Stewart acted as the Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Cameroon in advance of the 2004 national elections, while former Prime Minister Joe Clark led the Commonwealth Election Observation mission to Cameroon the same year. Most recently, Audrey McLaughlin, former Member of Parliament, participated in the Commonwealth Election Observation mission to Tanzania in October 2005. Read more information about Commonwealth activities aimed at promoting democracy.
