108-764: The Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization , also known as the WTO Hong Kong Ministerial Conference and abbreviated as MC6 , was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre , Wan Chai , Hong Kong from 13 to 18 December 2005. Representatives from 148 countries were expected to attend the event, as well as over 10,000 protesters led by the Hong Kong People’s Alliance on WTO and made up of largely South Korean farmers. The conference approved
216-746: A Hong Kong's local newspaper, the South China Morning Post , France's trade minister, Christine Lagarde , anticipated that there would no consensus and no major progress in Hong Kong. A steering committee, chaired by the Permanent Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology (Commerce and Industry) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Denise Yue , was set up in August 2004. Seven working groups under
324-526: A combined gross domestic product of over $ 9 trillion, 78% of which is accounted for by the four largest economies: India ($ 3.737 trillion), United Kingdom ($ 3.124 trillion), Canada ($ 1.652 trillion), and Australia ($ 1.379 trillion). In 1997 the Commonwealth Heads of Government agreed that, to become a member of the Commonwealth, an applicant country should, as a rule, have had
432-590: A deal in MC6, a 42-page draft unveiled by WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy show how far they are agreeing on critical issues. The draft does reflect some progress made over 18 months on new anti-dumping rules and customs facilities improvement. However, the two subjects, reducing tariffs and subsidies on either agriculture or manufactured goods, have held up the negotiations. Trade officials said unless progress has been made in negotiations in these two subjects, meaningful deal can hardly be reached in MC6. In an interview with
540-534: A declaration which many participants described as marking "significant progress". However, due to violent protesters, police officers were deployed with batons, riot gas, and other non-lethal weapons. Around 910 people were arrested. Of these, 14 were charged, but none were convicted. The Ministerial Conference is the highest decision-making body in the World Trade Organization (WTO), meeting at least once every two years and providing political direction for
648-622: A former colony of the United Kingdom, but some have links to other countries, either exclusively or more directly (e.g., Bangladesh to Pakistan, Samoa to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea to Australia, and Singapore to Malaysia). Mozambique, in 1995, was the first country to join without such a constitutional connection, leading to the Edinburgh Declaration and the current membership guidelines. In 2009, Rwanda, formerly under Belgian and German rule, joined. Consideration for Rwanda's admission
756-455: A fundamental founding document of the organisation, laid out that membership required dominionhood. The 1949 London Declaration ended this, allowing republican and indigenous monarchic members on the condition that they recognised King George VI as " Head of the Commonwealth ". In the wake of the wave of decolonisation in the 1960s, these constitutional principles were augmented by political, economic, and social principles. The first of these
864-451: A report on potential amendments was presented by the Committee on Commonwealth Membership at the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting . New members were not admitted at this meeting, though applications for admission were considered at the 2009 CHOGM . New members must "as a general rule" have a direct constitutional link to an existing member. In most cases, this is due to being
972-718: A republic in January 1950, it would remain in the Commonwealth and accept the British Sovereign as a "symbol of the free association of its independent member nations and as such the Head of the Commonwealth". Upon hearing this, King George VI told Menon : "So, I've become 'as such'". Some other Commonwealth countries that have since become republics have chosen to leave, whilst others, such as Guyana , Mauritius and Dominica , have remained members. India's inaugural prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru declared on 16 May 1949, shortly following
1080-697: A republic in accordance with the Irish Republic of Ireland Act 1948 ; in doing so, it also formally left the Commonwealth. Whilst Ireland had not actively participated in the Commonwealth since the early 1930s, other dominions wished to become republics without losing Commonwealth ties. The issue came to a head in April 1949 at a Commonwealth prime ministers' meeting in London . Under the London Declaration , as drafted by V. K. Krishna Menon , India agreed, when it became
1188-504: A wide range of sectors and is supposed to address the needs of developing countries , for whom agriculture is a particularly sensitive topic. Developing countries say farm trade needs to be tackled first because it is so important to their economies and because it is heavily protected in many rich countries. The 25-nation European Union, in particular, has been under fire for not making further cuts to its farm tariffs and subsidies . A series of meetings between ministers has failed to break
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#17328587488541296-518: Is a platform that member states from all over the world can gather to discuss issues that influence global trade and economic development such as General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , agricultural subsidies and equal access to technology. The WTO has stated that it seeks to assist developing countries enhance their rural-based economies. It has been suggested that advanced technology could be provided by other countries. Developing countries are seeking easier access to foreign markets, especially those in
1404-409: Is not represented. Commonwealth citizens are eligible to apply for British emergency passports . Australia issues Documents of Identity in exceptional circumstances to resident Commonwealth citizens who are unable to obtain valid travel documents from their countries of origin and must travel urgently. The close association amongst Commonwealth countries is reflected in the diplomatic protocols of
1512-520: Is symbolic, representing the free association of independent members, the majority of which (36) are republics , and five have monarchs of different royal houses ( Brunei , Eswatini , Lesotho , Malaysia and Tonga ). The main decision-making forum of the organisation is the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), where Commonwealth Heads of Government , including (amongst others) prime ministers and presidents, assemble for several days to discuss matters of mutual interest. CHOGM
1620-665: Is the supreme court of 14 Commonwealth countries, including the Cook Islands and Niue which are under the Realm of New Zealand (though New Zealand itself does not make appeals to the Privy Council). Commonwealth nationals are eligible for appointment to the High Court of Fiji , with the Court relying on judges from other Commonwealth nations. Commonwealth citizens are eligible to serve in
1728-558: Is the successor to the Commonwealth Prime Ministers Meetings and, earlier, the Imperial Conferences and Colonial Conferences, dating back to 1887. There are also regular meetings of finance ministers, law ministers, health ministers and others. Members in arrears, as special members before them, are not invited to send representatives to either ministerial meetings or CHOGMs. The head of government hosting
1836-619: The British Armed Forces . According to the British Army , "Commonwealth soldiers are, and always will be, an important and valued part of the fabric of the British Army." Thousands of potential Commonwealth recruits have been turned away due to a lack of eligible vacancies. Gurkha soldiers from Nepal , though it is not a Commonwealth country, have long fought alongside British and Commonwealth troops. They continue to be recruited by
1944-669: The British Empire from which it developed. They are connected through their use of the English language and historical-cultural ties. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Commonwealth Secretariat , which focuses on intergovernmental relations, and the Commonwealth Foundation , which focuses on non-governmental relations between member nations. Numerous organisations are associated with and operate within
2052-582: The Doha Round in 2006. The declaration of the "MC4 in Doha", named for the Qatari capital ( Doha ) has provided the mandate for negotiations on a number of issues on agriculture, concerning the implementation of the agreements which had to be completed in 2000 originally. However, the declaration set 1 January 2005 as the deadline for completing all but two of the agreements. The Doha round aims to cut trade barriers across
2160-730: The Harare Declaration was issued, dedicating the leaders to applying the Singapore principles to the completion of decolonisation, the end of the Cold War , and the end of apartheid in South Africa. The mechanisms by which these principles would be applied were created, and the manner clarified, by the 1995 Millbrook Commonwealth Action Programme , which created the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG), which has
2268-521: The High Court case of Sue v Hill , the United Kingdom was held to be a "foreign power". Similarly, in Nolan v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs , the nationals of other Commonwealth realms were held to be "aliens". Commonwealth citizens may receive consular assistance from other Commonwealth countries. In particular, British embassies and consulates may provide assistance to Commonwealth nationals in non-Commonwealth countries if their own country
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#17328587488542376-474: The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre were allowed to enter or leave the closed area during the closure period. Other people who needed to enter the closed area for justifiable reasons applied for permits from the police. A total of 9,000 officers from the Hong Kong Police Force were on stand-by for the conference, which was one-third of the regular police force and the greatest number of all
2484-717: The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre were erected. French windows of shops, including McDonald's in Sun Hung Kai Centre, which is close to the Wan Chai Sports Ground protest zone, were surrounded by wire nettings. The Wan Chai Cargo Handling Basin in Wan Chai, which was also assigned as a protest zone, had fences surrounding the area. The ground of the Cargo Handling Basin was also levelled. Drain covers outside Wanchai Tower were secured, and bricks on
2592-768: The Second World War . The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan was established for pilots from across the Empire and Dominions, created by the governments of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Troops from Australia, Britain, the British Raj and New Zealand made up the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in post-war Japan. After the Second World War ended, the British Empire
2700-678: The United Arab Emirates (UAE). It will take place in Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates, from 26 to 29 February 2024, and will be chaired by Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi , the UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Trade. Civil society organizations at the conference in Abu Dhabi raised concerns due to restrictions on their participation. They also claimed that some of their members were detained during
2808-534: The United Nations General Assembly by the secretariat as an observer . The secretariat organises Commonwealth summits, meetings of ministers, consultative meetings and technical discussions; it assists policy development and provides policy advice, and facilitates multilateral communication amongst the member governments. It also provides technical assistance to help governments in the social and economic development of their countries and in support of
2916-463: The rule of law , as promoted by the quadrennial Commonwealth Games . A majority of Commonwealth countries are small states , with small island developing states constituting almost half its membership. Queen Elizabeth II , in her address to Canada on Dominion Day in 1959, pointed out that the Confederation of Canada on 1 July 1867 had been the birth of the "first independent country within
3024-630: The " Singapore issues ". Was held in Geneva in Switzerland . The third conference in Seattle , United States ended in failure, with massive demonstrations and police and National Guard crowd control efforts drawing worldwide attention. The fourth conference was held in Doha In Persian Gulf nation of Qatar . The Doha Development Round was launched at the conference. The conference also approved
3132-674: The 1990s, Mr Lee said the Hong Kong Police Force should be able to handle any protests. In the unlikely event of an emergency which the police cannot handle, the Chief Executive had the power to seek help from the Hong Kong detachment of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Provisions for this were in the Hong Kong Basic Law . On 17 December, the Hong Kong Police Force used tear gas , pepper spray and fire hoses in order to suppress
3240-651: The 2,000 Koreans during the conference, held the first press conference outside the Cultural Centre on 29 November 2005. They were dissatisfied with the fence erected at a demonstration site on Wan Chai's waterfront. Elizabeth Tang Yin-ngor, chairwoman of the Hong Kong People's Alliance on WTO, said protesters had wanted to see and be seen from the Convention and Exhibition Centre, where trade ministers gathered even while they were sitting. Lee Young-so, policy director of
3348-586: The 5 Star Hotels where the delegates were meeting. This provoked confrontations with security forces and a KPL member, Lee Kyung Hae , stabbed himself to death in protest. The KPL claimed they did not support this act. The KPL group promised to the Hong Kong People's Alliance on WTO that they will adhere to protest perimeters and refrain from drinking alcohol in public, however later they engaged in violent and non-peaceful acts of protests during their duration in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong People's Alliance on WTO ,
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3456-587: The British Army ( Brigade of Gurkhas ), Indian Army ( Gorkha regiments ) and Royal Brunei Armed Forces ( Gurkha Reserve Unit ), as well the Gurkha Contingent of the Singapore Police Force . Most members of Brunei's Gurkha Reserve Unit are veterans from the British Army and Singaporean police. The criteria for membership of the Commonwealth of Nations have developed over time from a series of separate documents. The Statute of Westminster 1931 , as
3564-468: The British Empire". She declared: "So, it also marks the beginning of that free association of independent states which is now known as the Commonwealth of Nations." As long ago as 18 January 1884 Lord Rosebery , while visiting Adelaide , South Australia , had described the changing British Empire, as some of its colonies became more independent , as a "Commonwealth of Nations". Conferences of British and colonial prime ministers occurred periodically from
3672-447: The CHOGM is called the chair-in-office (CIO) and retains the position until the following CHOGM. The Commonwealth Secretariat , established in 1965, is the main intergovernmental agency of the Commonwealth, facilitating consultation and co-operation amongst member governments and countries. It is responsible to member governments collectively. The Commonwealth of Nations is represented in
3780-464: The Commonwealth countries. For example, when engaging bilaterally with one another, Commonwealth governments exchange high commissioners instead of ambassadors . Further institutional connections exist between Commonwealth countries. These include, between some, connections to other parts of the Commonwealth in their judicial and military institutions. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
3888-413: The Commonwealth had a population of 2.5 billion. The Commonwealth is the largest association of ' Third World ' or ' Global South ' countries. With a population of 1.4 billion, India is the most populous Commonwealth country. Tuvalu is the smallest member, with about 12,000 people. The status of "member in arrears" is used to denote those that are in arrears in paying subscription dues. The status
3996-432: The Commonwealth to reflect its changing nature. Burma (Myanmar since 1989) and Aden (now part of Yemen) are the only states that were British colonies at the time of the war not to have joined the Commonwealth upon independence. Former British protectorates and mandates that did not become members of the Commonwealth are Egypt (independent in 1922), Iraq (1932), Transjordan (1946), Palestine (part of which became
4104-629: The Commonwealth's fundamental political values. The secretariat is headed by the Commonwealth secretary-general , who is elected by the Commonwealth heads of government for no more than two four-year terms. The secretary-general and two deputy secretaries-general direct the divisions of the Secretariat. The present secretary-general is Patricia Scotland, Baroness Scotland of Asthal , from Dominica, who took office on 1 April 2016, succeeding Kamalesh Sharma of India (2008–2016). The first secretary-general
4212-616: The Commonwealth. The Commonwealth dates back to the first half of the 20th century with the decolonisation of the British Empire through increased self-governance of its territories. It was originally created as the British Commonwealth of Nations through the Balfour Declaration at the 1926 Imperial Conference , and formalised by the United Kingdom through the Statute of Westminster in 1931. The current Commonwealth of Nations
4320-574: The Crown, and freely associated as members of the British Commonwealth of Nations". The term ' Commonwealth ' was officially adopted to describe the community. These aspects to the relationship were formalised by the Statute of Westminster in 1931, which applied to Canada without the need for ratification, but Australia, New Zealand and Newfoundland had to ratify the statute for it to take effect. Newfoundland never did as due to economic hardship and
4428-551: The Declaration, during the Constituent Assembly Debates that: We join the Commonwealth obviously because we think it is beneficial to us and to certain causes in the world that we wish to advance. The other countries of the Commonwealth want us to remain there because they think it is beneficial to them. It is mutually understood that it is to the advantage of the nations in the Commonwealth and therefore they join. At
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4536-745: The Dominions as well as the United Kingdom. The term first received imperial statutory recognition in the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, when the term British Commonwealth of Nations was substituted for British Empire in the wording of the oath taken by members of parliament of the Irish Free State . In the Balfour Declaration at the 1926 Imperial Conference , the United Kingdom and its dominions agreed they were "equal in status, in no way subordinate one to another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs, though united by common allegiance to
4644-591: The EU and North America. Moreover, they are seeking a larger quota of export and free tax for their products. In order to protect the interests of developing countries and recognise their needs, the term 'consider positively' may be extended to seven years as to eliminate any measures that are inconsistent with the overall goals of the WTO. Should these efforts have succeeded, the MC6 would have made substantial progress towards fulfilling its mandate. Many groups of people are not happy with
4752-493: The Exhibition Centre during the conference. The areas around the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre were barricaded from 6pm on 12 December. At least 30 bus routes were diverted when roads to Admiralty and Wan Chai Ferry Pier were blocked. There was suspension of the regular ferry services running between Wan Chai and Hung Hom and between Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui . The MTR spent HK$ 10 million due to
4860-651: The Hong Kong Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization was to have the right of entry to the Northern markets for tropical products, and to defend African markets from profoundly subsidised exports dumped onto their market. On conjugal support, the proposal is for rich countries to cut down their support to home farmers and to slowly but surely phase it out. Africa was requesting cuts in subsidies for produces that are sent abroad and dumped onto African markets. Although WTO members are eager to reach
4968-674: The Korean Peasants League, urged the demonstration site to be changed back to the original site and the Hong Kong Government should ensure that their voices can be heard clearly. The Police replied that the fence was a safety measure to prevent anyone falling into the water. Ministerial Conference The Ministerial Conference is the top decision making body of the World Trade Organization (WTO). There have been thirteen ministerial conferences from 1996 to 2024, usually every two years. The inaugural ministerial conference
5076-439: The MC6. Fuji Xerox, a transnational company, will be the conference's sole printing service provider. The company is trying to move fast-copying machines, which can handle hundreds of pages per minute, from its Asia-Pacific regional offices to Hong Kong for temporary use. It is also said that 6 million sheets of paper, enough to cover 93 standard soccer pitches, may be consumed during the conference. BMW sponsored 280 cars for
5184-530: The Ministerial meetings at Seattle and Cancún failed. It was not easy to tell if the MC6 could reach any final agreement. The Commonwealth of Nations is an association of 53 countries. Its 1.8 billion citizens, about 30 per cent of the world's population are drawn from a broad range of faiths, races, cultures and traditions. In the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta , on 25–27 November 2005,
5292-643: The SPCA (HK), Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Hong Kong), was closed from 13 December - 18. Most animals were relocated to other centres. All glass windows and doors were pinned with wooden boards. Around 3,000 journalists around the world were attracted by the MC6. The Radio Television Hong Kong has also been appointed as the official conference broadcaster of the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference to provide live TV coverage of public sessions. It will also provide facilities for recordings and simple editing by booking. A Press Centre with infrastructure and technology will be provided service to members of
5400-446: The State of Israel in 1948), Sudan (1956), British Somaliland (which united with the former Italian Somaliland in 1960 to form the Somali Republic ), Kuwait (1961), Bahrain (1971), Oman (1971), Qatar (1971) and the United Arab Emirates (1971). The post-war Commonwealth was given a fresh mission by Queen Elizabeth II in her Christmas Day 1953 broadcast, in which she envisioned the Commonwealth as "an entirely new conception – built on
5508-417: The Statute of Westminster for it to take effect, two laws — the Status of the Union Act, 1934 , and the Royal Executive Functions and Seals Act, 1934 — were passed by the Parliament of South Africa to confirm South Africa's status as a sovereign state, and to incorporate the Statute of Westminster into the law of South Africa . Commonwealth countries and the Empire were involved in every major theatre of
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#17328587488545616-466: The UK (especially in the 1960s and 1970s) to refer to recently decolonised countries, predominantly non- white and developing countries. It was often used in debates regarding immigration from these countries. The United Kingdom and the pre-1945 dominions became informally known as the Old Commonwealth, or more pointedly as the 'white Commonwealth', in reference to what had been known as the 'White Dominions'. On 18 April 1949, Ireland formally became
5724-453: The US. The talks broke down without progress. The sixth WTO Conference Ministerial was held in Hong Kong from 13 December – 18 December 2005. It was considered vital if the four-year-old Doha Development Agenda negotiations were to move forward sufficiently to conclude the round in 2006. In this meeting, countries agreed to phase out all their agricultural export subsidies by the end of 2013, and terminate any cotton export subsidies by
5832-577: The United Kingdom's cosmopolitan role in world affairs became increasingly limited, especially with the losses of India and Singapore. Whilst British politicians at first hoped that the Commonwealth would preserve and project British influence, they gradually lost their enthusiasm, argues Krishnan Srinivasan . Early enthusiasm waned as British policies came under fire at Commonwealth meetings. Public opinion became troubled as immigration from non-white member states became large-scale (see also: Commonwealth diaspora ). The term New Commonwealth gained usage in
5940-423: The United Kingdom, have preferential citizenship acquisition or residency policies for Commonwealth citizens. Initially, Commonwealth countries were not considered to be "foreign" to each other as their citizens were British subjects . Citizenship laws have evolved independently in each Commonwealth country. For example, in Australia, for the purpose of considering certain constitutional and legal provisions in
6048-404: The WTO as they believe it symbolizes the exploitation of poor countries by the developed countries. Thus, there are many protests and demonstrations organised during each WTO conference. Besides, as the number of member countries in WTO is large, it is not easy to reach an agreement which gets the consensus of the participating countries. Therefore, the last two Ministerial Conferences which included
6156-708: The WTO conference didn’t disclosed their names as they feared repercussions by the authorities. The WTO launched the current round of negotiations, the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) or Doha Round, at the Fourth Ministerial Conference in Doha, Qatar in November 2001. The Doha round was to be an ambitious effort to make globalization more inclusive and help the world's poor, particularly by slashing barriers and subsidies in farming. The initial agenda comprised both further trade liberalization and new rule-making, underpinned by commitments to strengthen substantial assistance to developing countries. The negotiations have been highly contentious and agreement has not been reached, despite
6264-410: The WTO meeting and fares were not be deducted as what it was suggested from a legislative councilor. It carried out measures including bypassing stations, temporarily closing entrance gates and changing exits as entrance or entrance as exits in Admiralty , Wan Chai and Causeway Bay stations during the Conference. To help divert road traffic from Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and the Cross-Harbour Tunnel ,
6372-499: The activities the police force has ever been involved in. Officers underwent riot control and shield training. Some of them were sent to observe security arrangements for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit in Pusan , South Korea. The Commissioner of Police, Dick Lee provided reassurances that weapons such as water cannons and plastic bullets would not be used. Given the police's experience in dealing with previous riots, such as those involving Vietnamese refugees in
6480-434: The airport, help with the accreditation application and carry out clerical work. Those volunteers include students, civil servants professionals such as lawyers and retired people. Hong Kong seemed to have met its most chaotic week during the Conference. Most schools in Wan Chai and some schools in Causeway Bay and Happy Valley were suspended during the Conference. All shops and firms in Wan Chai were forced to close early on
6588-418: The beginning of the modern Commonwealth. Following India's precedent, other nations became republics, or constitutional monarchies with their own monarchs. Whilst some countries retained the same monarch as the United Kingdom, their monarchies developed differently and soon became essentially independent of the British monarchy. The monarch is regarded as a separate legal personality in each realm, even though
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#17328587488546696-403: The committee were established. Their tasks covered the following areas: to ensure the success of the event. During the MC6, a closed area covering the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and its linking footbridges, Tamar site , Wan Chai ferry pier , Convention Drive, Expo Drive and the podium adjacent to Grand Hyatt Hotel was set up. In terms of geographic coverage, the closed area
6804-407: The conference. On 26 February 2024, a complaint to Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was filed by a network of civil society groups, Our World Is Not For Sale (OWINFS), over "detainment, confiscation of materials, and heavy-handed restrictions on lobbying by civil society" groups. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala met with civil society representatives and the host chair to identify solutions. Four activists who were detained at
6912-587: The country member representatives and WTO senior staff. John Tsang , then Hong Kong 's Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology and chair of the conference, observed that the conference had been "hard work for everybody involved, especially for [participating] ministers", who had taken part in "more than 100 grueling hours" of talks. The conference approved a ministerial declaration which many participants described as marking "significant progress", Tsang considered it "a modest triumph", noting as important achievements: The WTO Hong Kong Ministerial Conference
7020-462: The country sought closer ties with the Anglophone world . Under the formula of the London Declaration , Charles III is the Head of the Commonwealth . However, when the monarch dies, the successor to the crown does not automatically become the new head of the Commonwealth. Despite this, at their meeting in April 2018, Commonwealth leaders agreed that Prince Charles should succeed his mother Elizabeth II as head after her death . The position
7128-419: The country to hold new elections before a full suspension of Commonwealth membership would be considered. Prior to Togo's admission at the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting , Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey said that he expected Commonwealth membership to provide opportunities for Togolese citizens to learn English and access new educational and cultural resources. He also remarked that
7236-446: The deadlock. The EU says equal attention needs to be paid to manufactured goods, which far outweigh agriculture's importance in global trade. At the 2003 Ministerial Conference , it was expected all members would reach consensus on how to complete the remaining agreements. However, the meeting got stuck because of discord created by agricultural issues and ended in deadlock on the " Singapore issues ". The original 1 January 2005 deadline
7344-525: The death of his mother, Elizabeth II , the position is not technically hereditary. Member states have no legal obligations to one another, though some have institutional links to other Commonwealth nations. Citizenship of a Commonwealth country affords benefits in some member countries, particularly in the United Kingdom , and Commonwealth countries are represented to one another by high commissions rather than embassies. The Commonwealth Charter defines their shared values of democracy , human rights and
7452-439: The demonstrators. Almost 1000 demonstrators have been detained. The police force formed nine working groups responsible for different aspects of the conference, drawing manpower from all over the force. The working groups included: logistics; traffic management; manpower and procurement; public relations; command and control; IT and communications; public order; security; and tactics and training. To stop protesters, fences around
7560-477: The end of 2006. Further concessions to developing countries included an agreement to introduce duty-free, tariff-free access for goods from the Least Developed Countries, following the Everything But Arms initiative of the European Union — but with up to 3% of tariff lines exempted. Other major issues were left for further negotiation to be completed by the end of 2006. Was held 30 November – 2 December 2009 in Geneva, Switzerland. The general theme for discussion
7668-453: The end of the Suez Crisis. The first member to be admitted without having any constitutional link to the British Empire was Mozambique in 1995 following its first democratic elections. Mozambique was a former Portuguese colony . Its entry preceded the Edinburgh Declaration and the current membership guidelines. In 2009, Rwanda became the second country to be admitted to the Commonwealth not to have any constitutional links to Britain. It
7776-520: The first group to be granted an approval from the Hong Kong Police Force, staged three demonstrations on 11 December 13 and 18 December. There were approximately 7,000 - 10,000 protesters. The Alliance sent about 500 helpers to maintain the order. Ten representatives from the Korean Peasants League and the Korean Women's Peasants Association, on an inspection trip to prepare for the arrival of
7884-482: The first one in 1887 , leading to the creation of the Imperial Conferences in 1911. The Commonwealth developed from the imperial conferences. A specific proposal was presented by Jan Smuts in 1917 when he coined the term "the British Commonwealth of Nations" and envisioned the "future constitutional relations and readjustments in essence" at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 , attended by delegates from
7992-540: The former rules were consolidated into a single document. These requirements are that members must accept and comply with the Harare principles , be fully sovereign states , recognise King Charles III as head of the Commonwealth, accept the English language as the means of Commonwealth communication, and respect the wishes of the general population with regard to Commonwealth membership. These requirements had undergone review, and
8100-724: The government reached an agreement with the two other tunnel operators, Western Harbour Crossing and Eastern Harbour Crossing , to offer toll discounts of 14% to 25% for private cars, taxi and goods vehicles between 13 and 18 December 2005. During the Conference there were 80 hotlines (Telephone No. 1834567) operated by the Transport Department for the public to inquire about the updated transport condition. The Special administrative region government recruited 488 volunteers through two organizations (Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups and Agency for Volunteer Service) to serve guests in
8208-425: The ground in Wan Chai also glued together to prevent protesters from digging them up. Nets were placed around footbridges in Wan Chai and Causeway Bay to prevent objects from being thrown onto the roads. The seven commercial buildings around the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre , for the first time, formed a security network, under which their closed-circuit television systems were linked together during
8316-483: The group issued its Valletta Statement on Multilateral Trade calling on "all developed countries to demonstrate the political courage and will to give more than they receive." The Commonwealth has also acknowledged that "Agriculture is the most distorted sector of world trade" and has put renewed pressure on the European Union to commit to a time-table to reduce agricultural subsidies. The main concern of Africa in
8424-581: The highest qualities of the Spirit of Man: friendship, loyalty, and the desire for freedom and peace". However, the British treasury was so weak that it could not operate independently of the United States. Furthermore, the loss of defence and financial roles undermined Joseph Chamberlain's early 20th-century vision of a world empire that could combine Imperial preference, mutual defence and social growth. In addition,
8532-451: The intense negotiations at several Ministerial Conferences and at other sessions. As of 2008 , disagreements still continued over several key areas including agriculture subsidies. [REDACTED] World portal Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations , often simply referred to as the Commonwealth , is an international association of 56 member states , the vast majority of which are former territories of
8640-545: The joining of China, which became the 143rd member to join. The ministerial conference was held in Cancún , Mexico , aiming at forging agreement on the Doha round. An alliance of 22 southern states, the G20 (led by India, China and Brazil), resisted demands from the North for agreements on the so-called " Singapore issues " and called for an end to agricultural subsidies within the EU and
8748-464: The need for financial assistance from London, Newfoundland voluntarily accepted the suspension of self-government in 1934 and governance reverted to direct control from London. Newfoundland later joined Canada as its tenth province in 1949. Australia and New Zealand ratified the statute in 1942 and 1947 respectively. Although the Union of South Africa was not amongst the Dominions that needed to adopt
8856-501: The opening night due to fear of injury. Some people were stuck barricaded in their own office overnight because of late notification of evacuation. The highway that crosses through Wan Chai was barricaded, and much traffic was detoured. All public transportation, including the MTR, had to skip stopping at the stations of the affected areas. Through the news broadcast on television and radio, the Hong Kong Police Force advised people who were still in
8964-423: The organization. The Hong Kong Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization, which was held from 13 to 18 December 2005, is the sixth ministerial conference (MC6) of the WTO. The 150 WTO member economies aimed to reach a preliminary agreement on liberalization of farm trade by reducing subsidies, providing Aid for Trade and address other issues at the Hong Kong meeting, aiming for a successful conclusion of
9072-702: The period of the conference. Considering the possibility of fire, the Fire Services Department increased the number of officers in the Harbour Road, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay fire stations. The Director of the Hong Kong Fire Services, Anthony Lam , said the current fire equipment of the department would be able to cope as the temperature of general indoor fires is much higher. St. John Ambulance sent 1,200 people to provide medical aid support. The Auxiliary Medical Services stationed in areas near
9180-657: The power to rule on whether members meet the requirements for membership under the Harare Declaration. Also in 1995, an Inter-Governmental Group was created to finalise and codify the full requirements for membership. Upon reporting in 1997, as adopted under the Edinburgh Declaration , the Inter-Governmental Group ruled that any future members would "as a rule" have to have a direct constitutional link with an existing member. In addition to this new rule,
9288-419: The press. It will provide computer facilities for concurrent users through desktop workstations, LAN ports, modem ports, and wireless LAN access. In addition, easy access to printers, telephone, fax lines and photocopiers will also be offered. During the proceeding of the conference, the anti-WTO demonstrations and the resulting confrontation with the Hong Kong Police Force consistently received wider coverage by
9396-494: The reputation of the Commonwealth and confirm the opinion of many people and civic organisations that the leaders of its governments do not really care for democracy and human rights, and that its periodic, solemn declarations are merely hot air." In 2022, the former French territories of Togo and Gabon joined the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth comprises 56 countries, across all inhabited continents. 33 members are small states, including 25 small island developing states. In 2023,
9504-513: The same person is monarch of each realm. At a time when Germany and France, together with Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, were planning what later became the European Union , and newly independent African countries were joining the Commonwealth, new ideas were floated to prevent the United Kingdom from becoming isolated in economic affairs. British trade with the Commonwealth
9612-410: The same time, it is made perfectly clear that each country is completely free to go its own way; it may be that they may go, sometimes go so far as to break away from the Commonwealth...Otherwise, apart from breaking the evil parts of the association, it is better to keep a co-operative association going which may do good in this world rather than break it. The London Declaration is often seen as marking
9720-448: The streets near the affected areas to either immediately go home or stay in covered areas until after the demonstration congregation cleared up. The Hong Kong Police Force suggested three criteria for shopkeepers in the affected areas for safety assessment. The criteria included business nature, geographical location, and international position (for instance, whether the shops belong to transnational corporations). The Wan Chai headquarters of
9828-525: The time of the Suez Crisis in 1956, and in the face of colonial unrest and international tensions, French prime minister Guy Mollet proposed to British prime minister Anthony Eden that their two countries be joined in a "union" . When that proposal was turned down, Mollet suggested that France join the Commonwealth, possibly with "a common citizenship arrangement on the Irish basis ". These ideas faded away with
9936-587: The two local television stations ( TVB and ATV ) and the press than the progress of the conference itself. The MC6 will cost the SAR government HK$ 250 million. The items in the budget include: The Hong Kong government was the major sponsor of the WTO MC6 conference, using public money to pay for TV, radio, newspaper and brochure ads. Apart from the government support, a total of HK$ 50 million of sponsorship from business sector has been another source of funding for
10044-469: Was Arnold Smith of Canada (1965–1975), followed by Sir Shridath Ramphal of Guyana (1975–1990), Chief Emeka Anyaoku of Nigeria (1990–1999), and Don McKinnon of New Zealand (2000–2008). Some member states grant particular rights to Commonwealth citizens. The United Kingdom and several others, mostly in the Caribbean , grant the right to vote to resident Commonwealth citizens. Some countries, including
10152-722: Was "The WTO, the Multilateral Trading System and the Current Global Economic Environment". Was held 15–17 December 2011 in Geneva, Switzerland. Membership agreement were made for Russia , Samoa , and Montenegro . Was held 3–6 December 2013 in Bali, Indonesia. 159 members of World Trade Organization agreed to the Bali Package which eases barriers to international trade. The WTO's 10th Ministerial Conference
10260-566: Was a Belgian trust territory that had been a district of German East Africa until World War I . In 2022, Togo , a former French mandate territory, and Gabon , a former French colony, joined the Commonwealth, despite never having been under British rule. Gabon was partially suspended from the Commonwealth in September 2023 following a military coup , with two years given by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group for
10368-698: Was about one square kilometre. The closure was on a 24-hour-a-day basis from 6pm on 12 December to 5 a.m. on 19 December 2005. An executive order was made by the Chief Executive under section 36 of the Public Order Ordinance (POO) (Cap. 245) to turn these places into a closed area. Under the order, the Commissioner of Police may grant permission to individuals to enter or leave the closed area. Holders of accreditation badges, including MC6 delegates, local and overseas journalists, representatives of non-governmental organisations, support staff, staff and tenants of
10476-593: Was considered an "exceptional circumstance" by the Commonwealth Secretariat . Rwanda was permitted to join despite the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) finding that "the state of governance and human rights in Rwanda does not satisfy Commonwealth standards", and that it "does not therefore qualify for admission". CHRI commented that: "It does not make sense to admit a state that already does not satisfy Commonwealth standards. This would tarnish
10584-448: Was formally constituted by the London Declaration in 1949, which modernised the community and established the member states as "free and equal". It continues to be known colloquially as the British Commonwealth . The Head of the Commonwealth is Charles III . He is king of 15 member states, known as the Commonwealth realms , whilst 36 other members are republics , and five others have different monarchs. Although he became head upon
10692-427: Was four times larger than its trade with Europe. In 1956 and 1957, the British government, under Prime Minister Anthony Eden , considered a "Plan G" to create a European free trade zone whilst also protecting the favoured status of the Commonwealth. The United Kingdom also considered inviting Scandinavian and other European countries to join the Commonwealth, so that it would become a major economic common market. At
10800-399: Was gradually dismantled. Most of its components have become independent countries, whether Commonwealth realms or republics, and members of the Commonwealth. There remain the 14 mainly self-governing British overseas territories which retain some political association with the United Kingdom. In April 1949, following the London Declaration , the word "British" was dropped from the title of
10908-609: Was held in Singapore in 1996. Its primary purpose was to initiate an international effort among global trading nations to overhaul the structure and mechanisms of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) while preserving the considerable progress and success achieved by that system since its inception in 1948. Disagreements, largely between developed and developing economies, emerged over four issues initiated by this conference; afterward, these were collectively referred to as
11016-551: Was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 11 to 13 December 2017. It was chaired by Minister Susana Malcorra of Argentina. The Conference ended with a number of ministerial decisions, including on fisheries subsidies and e-commerce duties, and a commitment to continue negotiations in all areas. The agreement to host the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in Nur-Sultan , Kazakhstan was signed on October 30, 2019. The Ministerial Conference
11124-523: Was held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 15 to 19 December 2015. The completion of Afghanistan and Liberia 's accession to the WTO was on the agenda. It culminated in the adoption of the "Nairobi Package", a series of six Ministerial Decisions on agriculture, cotton and issues related to least-developed countries (LDCs). The Conference was chaired by Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Amina Mohamed. The WTO's 11th Ministerial Conference
11232-403: Was missed. After that, members aimed at finishing the negotiations by the end of 2006. The shelved Doha development agenda was therefore carried over to the Hong Kong conference. That is why speculation on the chances of success of the MC6 had been rife in the months leading up to the conference in Hong Kong. The WTO attempted to facilitate dialogue between developing and developed countries. It
11340-537: Was one of the largest international events ever held in Hong Kong. There were about 11,000 participants. Apart from the 148 WTO members, 1000 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) also took part in the meeting. The Korean Peasants League (KPL), whose members are South Korean farmers, were among the 1000 NGOs. The KPL was involved in demonstrations in 2003 MC5 in Cancún. During the MC5, protesters were kept behind fences far away from
11448-471: Was originally known as " special membership ", but was renamed on the Committee on Commonwealth Membership 's recommendation. There are currently no members in arrears. The most recent member in arrears, Nauru, returned to full membership in June 2011. Nauru had alternated between special and full membership since joining the Commonwealth, depending on its financial situation. In 2019, the Commonwealth members had
11556-453: Was scheduled for June 8-11, 2020, but was postponed and took place in June 2022 in Geneva, Switzerland , due to the COVID-19 pandemic . It ran from 12 to 17 June 2022: although it was initially scheduled to end on 15 June, the meeting was extended by two days to allow more time for negotiations. Two proposals were received to host the thirteenth Ministerial Conference, from Cameroon and from
11664-584: Was set out in 1961, when it was decided that respect for racial equality would be a requirement for membership, leading directly to the withdrawal of South Africa's re-application (which they were required to make under the formula of the London Declaration upon becoming a republic). The 14 points of the 1971 Singapore Declaration dedicated all members to the principles of world peace , liberty , human rights , equality , and free trade . These criteria were unenforceable for two decades, until, in 1991,
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