India Commonwealth
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India and the Commonwealth The London Declaration of 1949 established the modern Commonwealth. In 1965, the Commonwealth Secretariat was established in London, which became the association's independent civil service, headed by a Secretary-General. 2. India is the largest member state of the Commonwealth, with nearly 60% of the total population of the association. It is the fifth largest contributor to the Commonwealth budget and programmes. It provides the largest number of technical experts engaged by the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation extending assistance to developing Commonwealth countries after the UK. India is a member of key Commonwealth bodies, including the Steering Committee on Commonwealth Action Programme for the Digital Divide (now renamed Commonwealth Connects), the Standing Committee on Terrorism, Commonwealth Advisory Board on Sports as well as the Executive, Accreditation and Grant Committees of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Board of Governors. 3. India hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in 1983 in New Delhi. India hosted the annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference in 1957, 1975, 1991 and September 2007. India successfully hosted the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune in October 2008, Conference of Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers in January, 2010 and will host the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. 4. The present Commonwealth Secretary General, Shri Kamalesh Sharma assumed office on April 1, 2008. He is the first Indian to be selected as the Secretary General of the Commonwealth. 5. India’s contribution to the Commonwe alth a) India has contributed an amount of Euro 1 million to t he Commonwealth Connects Programme over the period 2006-09, as announced by Hon'ble PM at Malta CHOGM in 2005. b) India has increased its contribution to the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation (CFTC) to £ 1 million in 2009-10. c) In keeping with its commitment to the mandate, approved by the Commonwealth Youth Ministers in the Bahamas in May 2006, Government of India has proposed to undertake the responsibility for upgrading the physical infrastructure of the Commonwealth Youth Programme Asia Centre in Chandigarh and the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development, Sriperambadur, which is estimated to cost approximately £ 1 million. d) India has decided to increase its contribution to the Commonwealth Joint office for Small States Permanent Missions in New York to US$ 100,000 p.a. from 2007-08 and also initiated annual contributions for a new Small States Joint Office in Geneva in 2010. e) India supported and ensured approval of US $ 260,000 by the UN Democracy Fund through its Advisory Board to the Commonwealth Local Government Forum for its project on Councillor training for local democracy and good governance in South
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Transcript of India Commonwealth
8/3/2019 India Commonwealth
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India and the Commonwealth
The London Declaration of 1949 established the modern Commonwealth. In 1965,the Commonwealth Secretariat was established in London, which became theassociation's independent civil service, headed by a Secretary-General.
2. India is the largest member state of the Commonwealth, with nearly 60% of the totalpopulation of the association. It is the fifth largest contributor to the Commonwealth budgetand programmes. It provides the largest number of technical experts engaged by theCommonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation extending assistance to developingCommonwealth countries after the UK. India is a member of key Commonwealth bodies,including the Steering Committee on Commonwealth Action Programme for the DigitalDivide (now renamed Commonwealth Connects), the Standing Committee on Terrorism,Commonwealth Advisory Board on Sports as well as the Executive, Accreditation andGrant Committees of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Board of Governors.
3. India hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in 1983 inNew Delhi. India hosted the annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference
in 1957, 1975, 1991 and September 2007. India successfully hosted the CommonwealthYouth Games in Pune in October 2008, Conference of Commonwealth Speakers andPresiding Officers in January, 2010 and will host the 2010 Commonwealth Games in NewDelhi.
4. The present Commonwealth Secretary General, Shri Kamalesh Sharma assumedoffice on April 1, 2008. He is the first Indian to be selected as the Secretary General of theCommonwealth.
5. India’s contribution to the Commonwealth
a) India has contributed an amount of Euro 1 million to the Commonwealth ConnectsProgramme over the period 2006-09, as announced by Hon'ble PM at MaltaCHOGM in 2005.
b) India has increased its contribution to the Commonwealth Fund for TechnicalCooperation (CFTC) to £ 1 million in 2009-10.
c) In keeping with its commitment to the mandate, approved by the CommonwealthYouth Ministers in the Bahamas in May 2006, Government of India has proposed toundertake the responsibility for upgrading the physical infrastructure of theCommonwealth Youth Programme Asia Centre in Chandigarh and the Rajiv GandhiNational Institute of Youth Development, Sriperambadur, which is estimated to cost
approximately £ 1 million.
d) India has decided to increase its contribution to the Commonwealth Joint office for Small States Permanent Missions in New York to US$ 100,000 p.a. from 2007-08and also initiated annual contributions for a new Small States Joint Office in Genevain 2010.
e) India supported and ensured approval of US $ 260,000 by the UN Democracy Fundthrough its Advisory Board to the Commonwealth Local Government Forum for itsproject on Councillor training for local democracy and good governance in South
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Asia.
f) In the 60th Anniversary Year of the Modern Commonwealth in 2009, Indiacommemorated the event by release of a commemorative Stamps/First day coversand commemorative coins which was distributed among the Commonwealthleaders during the last CHOGM in Port of Spain in November 2009.
g) In 2010-11, India will be providing 250 slots under International Technical andEconomic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme specifically for Commonwealthcountries.
h) India has contributed US$ 120,000 to the Commonwealth Media Development Fundfor the period 2009-11.
Commonwealth’s Significance to India:
6. India has a natural partnership with the Commonwealth. It is a community of Englishspeaking countries. It has a preponderance of developing countries who want to promoteSouth-South cooperation. It is an association which puts a premium on democracy andgood governance, where India has so much to share with others. It provides a platform tointeract and build consensus with a very diverse group of countries, including G-8countries like the UK and Canada, developing countries as well as Small Sates.
7. The Commonwealth is a unique international grouping with bulk of its membershipcoming from 32 Small States/Island States. There is a great degree of genuineappreciation among these States for India as the largest and a vibrant democracy and for the high-technology advancement and economic progress India has achieved in the pasttwo decades.
8. A large number of Commonwealth countries also have a sizeable Indian population.The promotion, maintenance and strengthening of healthy democratic institutions and ruleof law in these countries is relevant to India.
9. Though the UN remains the principal forum for multilateral action, the Commonwealthis eminently placed in addressing many issues through its unique style of functioning whichis consensus-building, informality and goodwill. The informal ways in which dialogue isconducted and decisions arrived at in the Commonwealth bodies provide a very goodbasis for addressing common concerns on relevant international issues.
August 2010
