Talk:Commonwealth of Nations/Archive 1

''What exactly IS the British Commonwealth these days, anyway? I mean, what does it do? What power does it wield, if any?''

Not a lot. Occasionally they put pressure on members who are seen to be misbehaving: Nigeria was recently threatened with expulsion over its civil rights record, and pressure put on Pakistan and India over the build of tensions over Kashmir.

Do member nations get together from time to time?

Yes, there are "commonwealth conferences" of the heads of states of member nations. There is also the "Commonwealth Games", a mini-Olympics for member states, which also encompasses sports such as bowls and cricket. Naturally, Australia always win everything :)

I seem to remember that a place in Australia called the 'Hutt River Province' recently tried to declare itself semi-independant from Australia. It appealed somehow through legal channels to England.


 * The international legal situation is clear since the passing of parallel acts of Parliament in Australia and England in the 1980's. The Australian High Court is the supreme legal authority for all Australian territory, and appeals to British courts are now impossible.  The Hutt River Province got laughed out of court. --Robert Merkel

Note to all who might be confused by the move to "The Commonwealth": check out http://www.thecommonwealth.org, "The Commonwealth" is the correct name these days, not "British Commonwealth" or "Commonwealth of Nations". --Robert Merkel

Is the Commonwealth really an international organization? I'm pretty sure it does not possess legal personality under international law -- there is no treaty establishing AFAIK. In which case it is not an international organization, but simply an informal grouping of states like G-7 or G-77 or NAM. -- SJK

I think it was me who put "international organization" a long ago because I did't think of any better term. Maybe it is wrong, so i replaced it by "voluntary asssociation....etc" what is the language they use in the website mentioned before. "International organisation" is perfectly legitimate, although the Commonwealth lacks any supranational authority (i.e. the power to tell governments what they can do): "voluntary association" is nicer, I think, and more expressive of how members relate to the whole. - David Parker
 * I disagree with calling it an international organization. I'd only call it an international intergovernmental organization if it has legal personality under international law. Presence or absence of "supranational authority" has little or nothing to do with the issue of legal personality. -- SJK

Please define legal personality, SJK. Thanks. - DP

Beginning Spoken Wikipedia
Hello all! I am today embarking on the laborious process of creating an audio file through WikiProject Spoken Wikipedia. --Justin J. Liu (Dylan Smithson) (talk) 04:40, 31 December 2019 (UTC)
 * Hello friends! I have completed the spoken article, please review it and provide suggestions? On any non-mobile format, it seems that the little speaker icon redirects to part 3 first. As this is my first time, it would be fantastic if one were to help...fix that? Thanks!Justin J. Liu (Dylan Smithson) (talk) 17:10, 25 February 2020 (UTC)
 * I have taken it down for concerns it does not meet the sufficient criteria; I am the original author and feel it has the potential for misinterpretation. --JJ Liu (Dylan Smithson) (talk) 02:23, 29 April 2021 (UTC)
 * Hi JJ Liu (Dylan Smithson), what was wrong with it? CMD (talk) 03:01, 29 April 2021 (UTC)
 * A lot of the words were mispronounced, the third file caused a page overflow and I think I did not do the best job I, or another contributor could have. I spoke quite abruptly at times, and did not use an audio editor; Audacity, for example.  I used the technological marvel of a microphone that was...my phone and overall it didn't feel natural.  American English is not my natural dialect, as well.  At the time, I was quite insecure of the way my voice sounded.  I realise these complaints may sound quite petty, but considering the Spoken Articles project is now actually active (in December 2019 it very much was not), I think someone could, and should do this article more justice. --JJ Liu (Dylan Smithson) (talk) 03:09, 29 April 2021 (UTC)
 * If you say so, it didn't sound too bad to me. I don't see why you would have to change from your natural dialect, although again it sounded fine to me. Best of luck, CMD (talk) 03:26, 29 April 2021 (UTC)

Flag
The Commonwealth of Nations now has 54 members - with the addition of The Maldives on 1 February 2020. Please update the Commonwealth Flag which should have 54 member symbols forming the "C". — Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.132.156.124 (talk) 10:32, 1 February 2020 (UTC)


 * The 34 marks around the globe do not represent the number of members. MilborneOne (talk) 10:48, 1 February 2020 (UTC)


 * The official Commonwealth Secretariat website explicitly states: "The radiating spears do not represent the number of countries in the Commonwealth but symbolise the many facets of Commonwealth cooperation around the world." The original flag had 61 radiating spears, for example, but there have never been 61 members. The new flag since 2013 has 34 spears. There are more than 34 members. It seems overwhelming, then, that the spears do not have any relation to the number of members in the Commonwealth.Justin J. Liu (Dylan Smithson) (talk) 17:16, 25 February 2020 (UTC)
 * Justin J. Liu (Dylan Smithson). Please add that to #Symbols. Errantius (talk) 20:46, 25 February 2020 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussion at the. —Community Tech bot (talk) 12:06, 26 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Commonwealth Flag, 2013.svg

Full independence from the United Kingdom
I was searching for information on the following matter, which I think should be found in this article as well: Australia and Canada became fully "independent" from UK government and parliament only in the 1980s with the Australia and Canada act, respectively. When did this process happen for other Commonwealth nations? Are there any Commonwealth realms (or even republics) left where UK parliament and government still hold some rights?--Oudeís talk 16:25, 25 May 2020 (UTC)
 * See British Overseas Territories for a list of countries where the British government retains some sovereignty, Commonwealth realm for a list of countries where the British monarch is head of state and Judicial Committee of the Privy Council for those where the final court of appeal is British. Phil Bridger (talk) 09:47, 17 June 2020 (UTC)

Chinde
I see no evidence of a link between Chinde and Mozambique's membership of the Commonwealth. Material that is never mentioned in relation to the Commonwealth of Nations does not belong in this article. DrKay (talk) 20:56, 28 February 2021 (UTC)

Should this wiki page not discuss recent developments?
Example:

The government of Barbados announced on 15 September 2020 that it intends to become a republic by 30 November 2021, the 55th anniversary of its independence. If the plan is achieved (with a two-thirds majority vote in both houses of Parliament),  ....

Barbados would then cease to be a Commonwealth realm, but will maintain membership in the Commonwealth of Nations.

.... A BBC News report stated that Guyana, as well as Trinidad and Tobago, already had such a relationship with the UK: a "loose association of former British colonies and current dependencies". Peter K Burian (talk) 13:07, 18 March 2021 (UTC)


 * I cant see anything there that relates to the Commonwealth of Nations, proposed changes of head of state is not really relevant to the group. MilborneOne (talk) 14:53, 18 March 2021 (UTC)

Togo & Gabon
Have Togo & Gabon joined the Commonwealth? GoodDay (talk) 17:47, 25 June 2022 (UTC)


 * Oui.  Peter Ormond &#128172;  17:51, 25 June 2022 (UTC)
 * Amazing. Gabon has been ruled by kleptocrat Omar Bongo for 42 years. Now his son and successor Ali got himself admitted into the Commonwealth by Kagame, the autocrat of Rwanda. Oh dear, oh dear...--Lubiesque (talk) 02:01, 26 June 2022 (UTC)
 * Angola could well be next. I recall the President of Angola declaring that Boris Johnson, the then British Foreign Minister, had invited his country to join the Commonwealth. For good measure Angola was also considering joining the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.--Lubiesque (talk) 02:22, 26 June 2022 (UTC)