The Commonwealth Yearbook 2013Commissioned and researched by Rupert Jones-Parry

with Andrew Robertson

Published for the Commonwealth Secretariat

by Nexus Strategic Partnerships

2 The Commonwealth Yearbook 2013

The Commonwealth Yearbook 2013 Commissioned and researched by Rupert Jones-Parry with Andrew Robertson.

The various Commonwealth declarations and statements are copyright-free,

although the Commonwealth Secretariat should be appropriately acknowledged.

Text © Commonwealth Secretariat 2013 or as otherwise credited

Volume © Nexus Strategic Partnerships Limited 2013

Country maps © Oxford Cartographers

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,

or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,

recording or otherwise without the permission of the publisher.

Applications for reproduction should be made in writing to Nexus Strategic Partnerships Limited,

St John’s Innovation Centre, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0WS, UK.

The information in this publication is believed to be correct at the time of manufacture. Whilst

care has been taken to ensure that the information is accurate, the publisher can accept no

responsibility for any errors or omissions or for changes to the details given. Views expressed in

this publication are not necessarily those of the Commonwealth Secretariat or the publisher.

A CIP catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library.

A Library of Congress CIP catalogue record has been applied for.

First published 2013

ISBN 978-1-908609-05-2

Published by Nexus Strategic Partnerships and available from:

Online: www.nexuspartnerships.comwww.commonwealthofnations.org

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Printed at Stephens and George, UK

The flags illustrated are stylised representations and neither the proportions nor the colours

are guaranteed true.

The Charter of the Commonwealth, adopted in December 2012,

forms the backdrop to all activities in 2013 including the biennial

Heads of Government meeting – upcoming towards the end of the

year. As Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma has

said, the Charter ‘brings fresh clarity and gives a higher profile to

the values and principles to which all member states of the

Commonwealth are committed on behalf of all Commonwealth

citizens’. Meanwhile the relaunch of the Commonwealth

Foundation (November 2012) – to renew its focus on participatory

governance – is indicative of the renewal agenda among civil

society as well as member governments.

The content of this new Commonwealth Yearbook looks at these

unfolding processes as well as providing up-to-date information,

including on this year’s Commonwealth theme ‘Opportunity

through Enterprise’.

A substantial amount of new material has been included in this

edition. The ‘Commonwealth in Action’ section of the 2013

Yearbook looks at the work of the Commonwealth and the

Commonwealth Secretariat during 2012 and into 2013.

Additionally, a number of essays from a diverse range of

contributors highlight areas of interest to the Commonwealth.

The profiles of the Commonwealth’s 54 member countries and

their overseas territories and associated states have been

researched and compiled using a broad range of national and

international sources. They are also published online and

maintained up to date at the websites of the Commonwealth

Secretariat and Nexus Strategic Partnerships. The directory of

Commonwealth organisations has been compiled and updated

from information supplied by the organisations themselves.

This edition also includes comprehensive information on the major

Commonwealth awards, highlighting the creative talent of the

Commonwealth’s youth, and on Commonwealth-related publications.

Sources

The primary sources of the data in the country profiles, and in the

statistical and other tables, are international agencies, especially the

World Bank (economic data) and the various agencies of the

United Nations.

Definitions and acronyms

Definitions of principal socio-economic indicators in the country

profiles and the statistical tables are given in ‘Definitions, acronyms

and abbreviations’ in the Reference section.

Notations

2011/12 denotes a period of exactly 12 months – usually a fiscal

year – that does not coincide with the calendar year.

2011–12 refers to the entire two-year period from the start of

2011 to end 2012.

2014/2015 indicates that the relevant date is either 2014 or 2015.

Commissioned, researched, edited and compiled

by Rupert Jones-Parry with Andrew Robertson;

country profiles prepared by Richard Green

March 2013

Preface

3The Commonwealth Yearbook 2013

Preface

Preface..................................................................................... 3Map of the Commonwealth.................................................. 8

An Essay by Kamalesh SharmaCommonwealth Secretary-GeneralOur enterprising Commonwealth......................................... 12

The Commonwealth CharterThe Commonwealth Charter................................................. 16

Commonwealth DayCommonwealth Day .............................................................. 26National Days in 2013 ............................................................ 27

Commonwealth Heads of GovernmentMeeting (CHOGM)Biennial summits .................................................................... 32Declaration of Commonwealth Principles ........................... 33Harare Declaration ................................................................. 34Millbrook Programme............................................................ 36Perth Declaration on Food Security Principles..................... 37The Perth Communiqué......................................................... 41Commonwealth leaders agree to strengthen Ministerial Action Group (CMAG)......................................... 42Agreement by Heads of Government regarding the EPG Proposals................................................................... 48

Ministerial Meetings in 2012Health ministers meeting ...................................................... 62Sport ministers meeting......................................................... 63Education ministers meeting................................................. 64Finance ministers: chair’s summary....................................... 66Foreign ministers statement.................................................. 66Public service ministers forum............................................... 67

What is the Commonwealth?Introducing the Commonwealth .......................................... 70History of the Commonwealth ............................................. 72The Commonwealth and its members ................................. 76Member Countries’ Heads of State and Government ........ 79Commonwealth Members ..................................................... 80

Official Commonwealth OrganisationsCommonwealth Secretariat................................................... 82Commonwealth Secretariat websites ................................... 83Strategic plan.......................................................................... 83Senior Commonwealth staff ................................................. 84Commonwealth Foundation ................................................. 85Commonwealth of Learning ................................................. 89

Commonwealth in ActionDemocracy, peace-building and consensus:the work of the Political Affairs Division ............................. 96

Upholding the rule of law: the work of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Division ............................ 101

The work of the Human Rights Unit:values and principles, non-discrimination, participation, capacity development .................................... 107

Fair and effective public administration:the work of the Governance and Institutional Development Division............................................................ 115

Economic development: supporting inclusive and sustainable economic growth in member countries........... 125

Environmentally sustainable development: assisting small and vulnerable states in the faceof climate change................................................................... 139

Managing social transformationthe Secretariat’s education, gender and health teams....... 147

Empowering young people: the Youth Affairs Division/Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) ........................... 158

Sport for development and peace........................................ 168

Contents

4 The Commonwealth Yearbook 2013

Contents

Approaching 2015: development, reform and renewalCommonwealth renewal after Perth: a reflection.............. 178

by Aloun Ndombet-Assamba, High Commissioner

for Jamaica to the UK

The Commonwealth: a better way ahead ........................... 180by Senator Hugh D Segal CM

Glasgow 2014: a mechanism for change ............................. 182by David Grevemberg, Chief Executive, Glasgow 2014

Beyond the MDGs: development and the Commonwealth post-2015 .................................................... 184

by Sir Malcolm Bruce MP

Putting civil society at the heart of development in the Commonwealth: the beginnings of theCommonwealth and civil society .......................................... 187

by Vijay Krishnarayan

‘A moment of hope for our continent and its peoples’: the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance ..................................................................... 190

by Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai

Youth rights: more than a timely slogan? ........................... 193by Andreas Karsten, Director of youthpolicy.org

Commonwealth AwardsRCS Young Commonwealth Competitions........................... 198Commonwealth Essay Competition...................................... 199Commonwealth Vision Awards............................................. 204Commonwealth Photographic Awards ................................ 205Jubilee Photography Award.................................................. 208The Jubilee Time Capsule ...................................................... 209

The Member CountriesAntigua and Barbuda ............................................................ 212Australia .................................................................................. 216Australia: External Territories ............................................... 221The Bahamas........................................................................... 227Bangladesh.............................................................................. 231Barbados ................................................................................. 236Belize ....................................................................................... 240Botswana................................................................................. 245Brunei Darussalam ................................................................. 253Cameroon................................................................................ 257Canada .................................................................................... 262Republic of Cyprus ................................................................. 268Dominica ................................................................................. 273Fiji ............................................................................................ 277The Gambia............................................................................. 282Ghana ...................................................................................... 287Grenada................................................................................... 296Guyana .................................................................................... 300India......................................................................................... 305Jamaica.................................................................................... 312Kenya....................................................................................... 317Kiribati..................................................................................... 324Lesotho .................................................................................... 328Malawi..................................................................................... 332Malaysia .................................................................................. 337Maldives .................................................................................. 343Malta ....................................................................................... 348Mauritius ................................................................................. 352Mozambique........................................................................... 357Namibia ................................................................................... 365Nauru....................................................................................... 376New Zealand........................................................................... 380New Zealand: Associated Countries and External Territories................. 385

Nigeria ..................................................................................... 391Pakistan ................................................................................... 414Papua New Guinea................................................................. 420Rwanda ................................................................................... 425St Kitts and Nevis.................................................................... 429St Lucia .................................................................................... 433St Vincent and the Grenadines ............................................. 437Samoa...................................................................................... 441Seychelles ................................................................................ 445Sierra Leone ............................................................................ 449Singapore ................................................................................ 454Solomon Islands...................................................................... 459South Africa ............................................................................ 464Sri Lanka.................................................................................. 470Swaziland ................................................................................ 478Tonga....................................................................................... 483Trinidad and Tobago .............................................................. 487Tuvalu ...................................................................................... 495Uganda.................................................................................... 499United Kingdom ..................................................................... 504United Kingdom: Overseas Territories ................................. 510United Republic of Tanzania ................................................. 531Vanuatu................................................................................... 537Zambia..................................................................................... 543

Conten

ts

5The Commonwealth Yearbook 2013

Reference

Directory of Commonwealth organisations......................... 554Membership of international and regional organisations ...................................................................... 568

Commonwealth Declarations and Statements .................... 570Commonwealth Secretariat publications ............................. 582Commonwealth bibliography ............................................... 585Commonwealth Games athletics records............................. 587Literary prize-winners ............................................................ 589Definitions, acronyms and abbreviations............................. 591

Facts and figures

Key indicators on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) ...................................................................... 596

Geography and population................................................... 597Geography and population: area and population.............. 598Geography and population: young and ageing population .......................................................................... 599

Geography and population: urbanisation and density ...... 600

Economy.................................................................................. 601Economy: national income .................................................... 602Economy: growth and inflation............................................ 603Economy: public spending and public debt......................... 604Economy: trade and foreign investment ............................. 605

Education ................................................................................ 606Education: overall enrolment and government spending.............................................................................. 607

Education: enrolment ............................................................ 608Education: teachers ................................................................ 609

Health ...................................................................................... 610Health: life and infant mortality........................................... 611Health: HIV/AIDS..................................................................... 612Health: public expenditure.................................................... 613Health: access to qualified health personnel....................... 614

Environment ........................................................................... 615Environment: energy use....................................................... 616Environment: CO2 emissions .................................................. 617Environment: deforestation .................................................. 618

Information and communication technology ..................... 619Information and communication technology: telephones .......................................................................... 620

Information and communication technology: mobile phones .................................................................... 621

Information and communication technology: PCs and internet ................................................................. 622

Small states ............................................................................. 623Small states: population ........................................................ 624Small states: economy............................................................ 625Small states: information and communication technology .......................................................................... 626

Acknowledgements................................................................ 627Project partners ...................................................................... 628

Contents

6 The Commonwealth Yearbook 2013

Map of the Commonwealth

8 The Commonwealth Yearbook 2013

1 Antigua and Barbuda2 Australia3 The Bahamas4 Bangladesh5 Barbados6 Belize7 Botswana8 Brunei Darussalam9 Cameroon

10 Canada

11 Republic of Cyprus12 Dominica13 Fiji

(fully suspended from the Commonwealthin September 2009)

14 The Gambia15 Ghana16 Grenada17 Guyana

18 India19 Jamaica20 Kenya21 Kiribati22 Lesotho23 Malawi24 Malaysia25 Maldives26 Malta27 Mauritius

Map of theCommonwealth

Map of th

e Commonwealth

9The Commonwealth Yearbook 2013

28 Mozambique29 Namibia30 Nauru 31 New Zealand32 Nigeria33 Pakistan34 Papua New Guinea35 Rwanda36 St Kitts and Nevis37 St Lucia

38 St Vincent and the Grenadines

39 Samoa40 Seychelles41 Sierra Leone42 Singapore43 Solomon Islands44 South Africa45 Sri Lanka46 Swaziland

47 Tonga48 Trinidad and Tobago49 Tuvalu50 Uganda51 United Kingdom52 United Republic of

Tanzania53 Vanuatu54 Zambia

Map source: Commonwealth

Secretariat/Maps-in-Minutes™

The designations and the

presentation of material on

this map, based on UN practice,

do not imply the expression of

any opinion whatsoever on the

part of the Commonwealth

Secretariat or the publishers

concerning the legal status of

any country, territory or area,

or of its authorities, or

concerning the delimitation

of its frontiers or boundaries.

Objectives • To provide, effi cient and

professional support to the Speaker, the President and other Members of the Legislature.

• To promote respect for Parliament and to heighten public awareness on its history and role as an institution, integral to the democratic process.

• To ensure that both Houses of the Legislature and Parliamentary Commi� ees operate with the provisions of the Offi cial Standing Orders.

Our Parliament is bicameral, which consists of two Houses: the Senate (appointed members) and the House of Assembly (elected members).

Functions

The main functions of the Bermuda Legislature are to enact laws, to implement taxes and scrutinise government policy, particularly proposals for expenditure. In discharging these functions, the Legislature helps to bring the relevant facts and issues before the electorate.

Panorama by Jean-Pierre Rouja for LockBermuda.com

Statement from the Speaker

‘ I would like to take the opportunity to welcome all readers from the Commonwealth and other Associate members to the beautiful Island of Bermuda. It is an honour to share with you information about our Parliament, the oldest Parliament in the Commonwealth outside the mother Parliament at Westminster. While exploring our page, please peruse the history of our Parliament and learn how we have evolved since our fi rst meeting in 1620.’

History2012 saw the 392nd anniversary of Bermuda’s Parliament. The fi rst elected Assembly convened at St. Peter’s Church in St. George’s on 1 August 1620. In 1815 Parliament moved to the new capital Hamilton, and met in the Town Hall Building until 1826. In 1826 Parliament offi cially moved to its current location on Parliament Hill.

Completed projectsTwo major projects were recently completed, namely the implementation of a fully functioning Hansard and streaming of the proceeding of the House. In May 2010, a Hansard was implemented to progress our Parliament and facilitate the requests of Members of Parliament and the public. Presently, our Hansard is fully functioning, with seven writers and editors working together to provide accurate Hansard Reports. The streaming of the proceedings is the newest operation. Through hard work and perseverance, streaming coverage came into fruition on 2 November 2012.

ContactSessions House,21 Parliament Street,Hamilton, Bermuda

Tel: +1 441 292 7408

Fax: +1 441 292 2006�

Email: smwolff e@gov.bm

Hon. Stanley Lowe, OBE, JP, MP, Speaker

Mrs Sherne� e Wolff e, Clerk to the Legislature

Men at work