The
Commonwealth Secretary-General is the head of the
Commonwealth SecretariatThe Commonwealth Secretariat is the main intergovernmental agency and central institution of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is responsible for facilitating cooperation between members; organising meetings, including the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings ; assisting and advising on policy...
, the central body which has served the
Commonwealth of NationsThe Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the Commonwealth and previously as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-three independent member states. Most of them were formerly part of the British Empire. They co-operate within a framework of common values...
since its establishment in 1965, and responsible for representing the Commonwealth publicly. The Commonwealth Secretary-General should not be confused with the
Head of the CommonwealthThe Head of the Commonwealth heads the Commonwealth of Nations, an intergovernmental organisation which currently comprises 53 sovereign states. The first Head of the Commonwealth was King George VI, the British monarch who was also head of state of many states and territories within the British...
, who is currently
Queen Elizabeth IIElizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known informally as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,...
.
The position was created, along with the Secretariat itself, after the fourteenth Commonwealth Prime Ministers Conference in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
in 1965, which issued a memorandum describing the role of the Secretary-General:
The headquarters of the Secretary-General, as with the Secretariat generally, is
Marlborough HouseMarlborough House is a mansion in Westminster, London, in Pall Mall just east of St James's Palace. It was built for Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, the favourite and confidante of Queen Anne. The Duchess wanted her new house to be "strong, plain and convenient"...
, a former royal residence in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, which was placed at the disposal of the Secretariat by Queen Elizabeth II.
The
Commonwealth Secretary-General is the head of the
Commonwealth SecretariatThe Commonwealth Secretariat is the main intergovernmental agency and central institution of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is responsible for facilitating cooperation between members; organising meetings, including the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings ; assisting and advising on policy...
, the central body which has served the
Commonwealth of NationsThe Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the Commonwealth and previously as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-three independent member states. Most of them were formerly part of the British Empire. They co-operate within a framework of common values...
since its establishment in 1965, and responsible for representing the Commonwealth publicly. The Commonwealth Secretary-General should not be confused with the
Head of the CommonwealthThe Head of the Commonwealth heads the Commonwealth of Nations, an intergovernmental organisation which currently comprises 53 sovereign states. The first Head of the Commonwealth was King George VI, the British monarch who was also head of state of many states and territories within the British...
, who is currently
Queen Elizabeth IIElizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known informally as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,...
.
Role
The position was created, along with the Secretariat itself, after the fourteenth Commonwealth Prime Ministers Conference in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
in 1965, which issued a memorandum describing the role of the Secretary-General:
The headquarters of the Secretary-General, as with the Secretariat generally, is
Marlborough HouseMarlborough House is a mansion in Westminster, London, in Pall Mall just east of St James's Palace. It was built for Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, the favourite and confidante of Queen Anne. The Duchess wanted her new house to be "strong, plain and convenient"...
, a former royal residence in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, which was placed at the disposal of the Secretariat by Queen Elizabeth II. However, as the building cannot house all of the Secretariat's staff in London, additional space is rented elsewhere in London. From this operational base, a large part of the Secretary-General's work involves travelling around the Commonwealth keeping in personal contact with those at the heart of the governments of member states.
The Secretary-General is responsible for formulating the Commonwealth's four-year Strategic Plan, which outlines the Secretariat's goals, plans, and programmes for the following four years. In coordinating this plan, the Secretary-General is entitled to regular discussion with all
Commonwealth Heads of GovernmentThe leaders of the nations with membership in the Commonwealth of Nations are collectively known as the Commonwealth Heads of Government.-Current Heads:-See also:*Prime Ministers of Queen Elizabeth II*Commonwealth Foundation*Commonwealth Secretariat...
. Indeed, in this position of having the ear of every Head of Government, the Secretary-General has been described as "probably the contemporary Commonwealth's major resource".
Staff and responsibility
The Secretary-General is in the head of the Commonwealth Secretariat, and all Secretariat staff are responsible and answerable to him or her. He or she is supported by two
Deputy Secretary-GeneralsTwo Commonwealth Deputy Secretaries-General assist the Secretary-General in running the Commonwealth Secretariat, which is the central institution of the Commonwealth of Nations...
, which are elected by the Heads of Government via the members' High Commissioners in London. Currently, the two Deputy Secretaries-General are Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba and
Ransford SmithRansford Smith , is a senior public servant from Jamaica, and is currently the Deputy Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations.Ransford Smith was appointed Deputy Secretary-General of the Commonwealth in August 2006....
. The Secretary-General may appoint junior staff at his own discretion, provided the Secretariat can afford it, whilst more senior staff may be appointed only from a shortlist of nominations from the Heads of Government. In practice, the Secretary-General has more power than this; member governments consult the Secretary-General on nominations, and the Secretary-General has also at times submitted nominations of his own.
Formally, the Secretary-General is given the same rank as a
High CommissionerIn the Commonwealth of Nations, a High Commissioner is the senior diplomat in charge of the diplomatic mission of one Commonwealth government to another.-History:...
or
ambassadorAn ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents their country. They are usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization, to serve as the official representative of their country....
. However, in practice, his or her rank is considerably higher. At CHOGMs, he or she is the equal of the Heads of Government, except with preference deferred to the longest-serving Head of Government. At other ministerial meetings, he or she is considered
primus inter paresPrimus inter pares , the first among equals, or first among peers is a phrase which indicates that a person is the most senior of a group of people sharing the same rank or office....
. But for the first 3 years (of the jobs existance) the Foreign Office refused to invite the Secretary-General to the Queen's annual diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace, much to
Arnold SmithArnold Cantwell Smith, CH, OC was a Canadian diplomat. He was the first Commonwealth Secretary-General, serving from 1965–1975.A talented student, he won a Rhodes Scholarship to Christ Church, Oxford....
's irritation, until in 1968 this refusal was overridden by the Queen herself
The Secretary-General was originally required to submit annual reports to the Heads of Government, but this has since been changed to reporting at biennial
Commonwealth Heads of Government MeetingThe Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, abbreviated to CHOGM, is a biennial summit meeting of the heads of government from all Commonwealth nations. Every two years the meeting is held in a different member state, and is chaired by that nation's respective Prime Minister or President, who...
s (CHOGM). The Secretary-General is held responsible by the Commonwealth's Board of Governors in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
.
Election
Since the 1993 CHOGM, it has been decided that the Secretary-General is elected to a
maximumA term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. Term limits are found usually in presidential and semi-presidential systems as a method to curb the potential for dictatorships, where a leader effectively becomes "president for...
of two four-year terms. The election is held by the assembled Heads of Government and other ministerial representatives at every other CHOGM. Nominations are received from the member states' governments, who sponsor the nomination through the election process and are responsible for withdrawing their candidate as they see fit.
The election is held in a Restricted Session of the CHOGM, in which only Heads of Government or ministerial representatives thereof may be present. The Chair of the CHOGM (the Head of Government of the host nation) is responsible for ascertaining which candidate has the greatest support, through the conduct of negotiations and
secretThe secret ballot is a voting method in which a voter's choices are confidential. The key aim is to ensure the voter records a sincere choice by forestalling attempts to influence the voter by intimidation or bribery....
straw pollA straw poll or straw vote is a vote with nonbinding results. Straw polls provide important interactive dialogue among movements within large groups, reflecting trends like organization and motivation...
s.
There is usually a convention that an incumbent seeking a second term in office is elected unopposed for his or her second term. However, this was broken by a
ZimbabweZimbabwe , is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the continent of Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers...
-backed bid for
Sri LankaSri Lanka , officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka , is an island country in South Asia, located about off the southern coast of India...
n
Lakshman KadirgamarSri Lankabhimanya Lakshman Kadirgamar PC was a Sri Lankan diplomat, politician and lawyer. After a distinguished career as a lawyer and international humanitarian, he was appointed as foreign minister of Sri Lanka in 1994 by President Chandrika Kumaratunga...
to displace
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
's
Don McKinnonSir Donald Charles "Don" McKinnon, ONZ, GCVO is a former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand. He was the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations from 2000 until 2008.-Early life:...
in 2003. At the vote, however, Kadirgamar was easily defeated by McKinnon, with only 11 members voting for him against 40 for McKinnon.
In the most recent election, at the
2007 CHOGMThe Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2007 was the twentieth Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in Kampala, Uganda, between 23 November and 25 November 2007, and hosted by President Yoweri Museveni....
,
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
's
Kamalesh SharmaKamalesh Sharma is the current Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations from 2008, having previously served as the High Commissioner for India in London....
defeated
MaltaMalta , officially the Republic of Malta , is a densely populated developed European country in the European Union. The Southern European island nation is an archipelago that includes the inhabited islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino, along with a number of smaller, uninhabited islands...
's
Michael FrendoMichael Frendo is a Maltese politician and is currently a government backbencher in the House of Representatives of Malta. He has served in various government post.-Biography:...
in 2007, and has now replaced McKinnon who had served the maximum two terms.
List of Secretaries-General
|
Name |
Country |
Birth |
Death |
Start |
End |
| 1st |
Arnold Smith Arnold Cantwell Smith, CH, OC was a Canadian diplomat. He was the first Commonwealth Secretary-General, serving from 1965–1975.A talented student, he won a Rhodes Scholarship to Christ Church, Oxford....
|
Canada |
18 January 1915 |
7 February 1994 |
1 July 1965 |
30 June 1975 |
| 2nd |
Sir Shridath Ramphal Sir Shridath Surendranath "Sonny" Ramphal, OE, OM, GCMG, ONZ, AC, QC, FRSA served as the second Commonwealth Secretary-General from 1975-1990. Ramphal previously served as the Foreign Minister of Guyana from 1972-1975...
|
Guyana |
3 October 1928 |
Living |
1 July 1975 |
30 June 1990 |
| 3rd |
Chief Emeka Anyaoku Emeka Anyaoku, GCVO, CON was the third Commonwealth Secretary-General. He is a Nigerian of Igbo descent.-Education:Born in Obosi, he attended the University College of Ibadan, then a college of the University of London, from which he obtained an honours degree in Classics.-Political career:In...
|
Nigeria |
18 January 1933 |
Living |
1 July 1990 |
31 March 2000 |
| 4th |
Sir Don McKinnon |
New Zealand |
27 February 1939 |
Living |
1 April 2000 |
31 March 2008 |
| 5th |
Kamalesh Sharma Kamalesh Sharma is the current Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations from 2008, having previously served as the High Commissioner for India in London....
|
India |
30 September 1941 |
Living |
1 April 2008 |
Incumbent |