As the strong emotions expressed by many on the death of Queen Elizabeth start to diminish, questions are already being raised on the future of the Commonwealth. The late queen was a towering personality and a strong figurehead for the group of 56 nations. Many people are now wondering if her successor, King Charles III, will be able to exert the same degree of influence.
Political experts’ opinions are divided. Some argue that the loud republican voices in the larger countries like Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Jamaica are likely to become all the more strident now that the monarch has changed. The legacy of empire and slavery entwined with British royalty for centuries is bound to raise tough questions about the organisation’s relevance beyond the Commonwealth Games.
In 1971, the Commonwealth committed itself to “promoting international peace, fighting racism, opposing colonial domination and reducing inequalities of wealth”. But will this be enough to clean the slate of colonialism, especially in those former colonies for whom British rule was tarnished by slavery?
Jahlani Niaah of the University of the West Indies, a cultural expert, argues: “There is a section of Jamaican society that is clear that we have come too far with the (colonial) millstones around our necks. The fact that the Queen has passed will mean there is less affection for the symbolism she represents as a powerful woman of the world.”
In June, Australia’s new government headed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appointed Matt Thistlethwaite as the country’s first minister tasked with overseeing a transition to a republic.
Other political experts are more optimistic about the future of the Commonwealth. Cindy McCreery, a senior lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Sydney, remarks: “On their own, small states in the Caribbean would have very little leverage in international affairs – so the Commonwealth is the main avenue they have for getting critical mass.”
McCreery is also optimistic about the role of the new king. She argues that Charles may have the ability to get more done on environmental issues like climate change than Elizabeth, given what she says is his significant experience with organisations campaigning in these areas.
In the post-Brexit environment, the UK is interested in building a stronger partnership with Commonwealth countries, like India and Australia. For the UK government, further engagement with the Commonwealth could help the UK achieve its “Global Britain” strategy.
Malta is one of two Commonwealth countries in the EU. Many would agree that the British colonial experience in Malta was far less traumatic than in some other countries. As a member of the Commonwealth, Malta is in a position to further its role as a promoter of better relations between Britain and the European Union.
The Commonwealth’s agenda is structured on eight programmes: Good Offices for Peace; Democracy and Consensus Building; Rule of Law; Human Rights; Public Sector Development; Economic Development; Environmental Sustainable Development; and Human Development.
The realisation of these stated objectives is still far from complete. Thirty-six of the 69 countries in the world that criminalise same-sex relationships are Commonwealth members and such criminalisation is, in many countries, rooted in British-era laws.
Supranational organisations fulfil their most valuable purpose when they serve not the powers-that-be in the countries that make up their membership but their citizens.
The Commonwealth may be a colonial residue from half a century ago but it can still make a difference to the lives of ordinary people in today’s complex societies.
King Charles will need all the vision, perseverance and leadership skills he can muster for the Commonwealth to continue offering relevance and value to the global community.