The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of independent and equal countries, with a Head who is not hereditary

Background

The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of independent and equal countries, including both advanced economies and developing countries, and many of its members are small states. The London Declaration of 1949 marked the beginning of the modern Commonwealth, and its values are expressed in the Commonwealth Charter. Leaders agree priorities at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), held every two years. The Secretary-General is nominated by Commonwealth leaders and can serve a maximum of two terms of four years each. The Head of the Commonwealth is an important symbolic role with no fixed term; it is not hereditary, and future Heads will be chosen by Commonwealth leaders. The Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Foundation are headquartered at Marlborough House on Pall Mall in London.