Question

Commonwealth Organization -

Secretariat

Answer 1

1. As part of a significant shake-up of the Commonwealth's organisation, Heads of Government established the Secretariat in 1965, taking over many of the functions of the United Kingdom Government's Commonwealth Relations Office.
2. At the same time, the United Kingdom was successful in getting the Commonwealth Foundation, the Secretariat's sister organisation, established to promote non-governmental connections and the Commonwealth Family network of civil society.
3. Other attempts by members to establish comparable central bodies failed, including a medical conference (offered by New Zealand), a development bank (Jamaica), and a satellite communications agency (Canada).
4. The formation of the Secretariat was a difficult matter in and of itself. To avoid diluting their historic power within the Commonwealth, the United Kingdom and other long-established countries had sought to halt the flow of Commonwealth membership expansion.
5. This may have involved a dual-tiered Commonwealth, requiring the continuation of the organisation of Commonwealth co-operation by meetings, rather than a central administration.