'Risk averse' Commonwealth slammed in report

A hard-hitting report on the future of the Commonwealth has criticised the organisation as too timid in dealing with rogue members and called for it to be given more teeth.

The report, written by members of the Royal Commonwealth Society as part of grassroots consultations on the grouping's future, says the Commonwealth has a sad history of failing to confront states guilty of human rights and democracy abuses and had become "overly risk averse" when dealing with them.

Part of the "Commonwealth Conversation" project launched by the society, the Common What? report pulls no punches.

"Oppressive, undemocratic regimes, human rights abuses and inequality are far too common in the Commonwealth today.

"Whilst we recognise that a balance must be struck between the quiet behind-the-scenes efforts which can prove so fruitful and the taking of a strong public stance when the situation calls for it, we would argue that this current balancing act seems not to be winning over new supporters to the Commonwealth cause. In recent years, the Commonwealth has come to be perceived as overly risk averse."

The report was released on the eve of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which officially opened with a colourful ceremony in the Trinidad and Tobago capital of Port of Spain this morning.

Prime Minister John Key is at the summit, where climate change will dominate proceedings.

United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-Moon and Danish prime minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen have flown in to give a presentation on a crucial UN climate change conference in Copenhagen next month, and are expected to urge leaders to attend. French President Nicolas Sarkozy is also attending CHOGM, which is the last major international summit before Copenhagen.

Their presence comes amid signs the Copenhagen conference will fail to secure agreement on the next round of greenhouse gas emission targets, instead mapping out an agreement in principle to be signed off next year.

Mr Key has already said he will not attend the Copenhagen conference, despite pressure coming on for as many leaders as possible to go, unless a final deal is on the table, something he believes has only about a five per cent chance of happening.

Commonwealth secretary general Kamalesh Sharma described climate change in his speech to the opening ceremony as a "looming existential catastrophe" and said the group had to prove itself worthy of addressing that and other "global crises" such as poverty and disease.

The Queen said climate change was a global challenge the Commonwealth should take a lead in addressing. "The Commonwealth can be proud of the fact that in each of its six decades, it has shaped the international response to emerging global challenges, and on this, the eve of the UN Copenhagen summit on climate change, the Commonwealth has an opportunity to lead once more.

"The threat to our environment is not a new concern, but it is now a global challenge which will continue to affect the security and stability of millions for years to come. Many of those affected are among the most vulnerable, and many of the people least well able to withstand the adverse effects of climate change live in the Commonwealth."

The Common What? report says the Commonwealth's failure to deal with countries with poor human rights records and breaches of democracy risked alienating it from the next generation. Half the Commonwealth's 2 billion people are under 25.

The report suggests the Commonwealth secretariat should be given more powers to deal with rogue states, rather than waiting for them to be taken to task at CHOGM or other summits, and the ministerial action group should be given more teeth.

The action group was set up in 1995 to deal with countries that did not follow the Commonwealth's core beliefs of justice and democracy.

It was responsible for Fiji being suspended from the body this year after coup leader Frank Bainimarama refused to schedule elections.

Malaysia is understood to be pushing for Fiji to be readmitted to the Commonwealth Games, but the move - opposed by New Zealand - is not expected to get wide support.

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