The Commonwealth Secretariat is the intergovernmental organisation that supports member countries to achieve the Commonwealth's aims of development, democracy and peace.
We:
At Commonwealth summits, we bring government leaders together to make decisions which impact the lives of all Commonwealth citizens. By uniting our member countries, we amplify their voices and help them work together on global challenges.
Leaders agree priority areas of work at Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM), which happen every 2 years. The next CHOGM summit is in Rwanda in 2020.
The Commonwealth Secretariat’s structure is split into 3 areas:
How the Commonwealth and the Secretariat is run
To help create and sustain a Commonwealth that is mutually respectful, resilient, peaceful and prosperous and that cherishes equality, diversity and shared values.
We support member governments, and partner with the broader Commonwealth family and others, to improve the well-being of all Commonwealth citizens and to advance their shared interests globally.
“The establishment of the Commonwealth Secretariat in 1965 emphasised the equality of all members, and gave final discouragement to the lingering sentiment that one member had a right to some predominance over others. It has enabled the Commonwealth to develop along independent lines in accordance with the interest of all its members.” Julius Nyerere, President of Tanzania (1973).