Rejuvenating the commonwealth—The human rights remedy

International and Comparative Law Quarterly

Volumn 46, Issue 2, 1997, Pages 344-377

  Duxbury, Alison ^a  

^a MONASH UNIVERSITY   (Australia)

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EID: 0038077701     PISSN: 00205893     EISSN: 14716895     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1017/S0020589300060462     Document Type: Article

References (135)

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3. N. Saravanamutto. “Are We Building a Commonwealth for Tomorrow?” (1995) The Round Table 433.
4. The “British” Commonwealth was considered too Anglo-centric, and the “of Nations” was dropped as redundant; W. Dale, “Is the Commonwealth an International Organisation?” (1982) 31 I.C.L.Q. 451.
5. A. J. Groom and P. Taylor (Eds), The Commonwealth in the 1980s: Challenges and Opportunities (1984), pp. 3–4 and
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12. This figure is quoted in the Report of the Commonwealth Secretary-General (1995). p. 108.
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14. These three requirements were adopted by A. Muller, International Organizations and Their Host States (1995). p.4.
15. Muller. International Organizations and Their Host States (, p.106.
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17. See also W. D. Mclntyre. The Significance of the Commonwealth. 1965–90 (1991). p.4.
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25. See Commonwealth Foundation. “Second Commonwealth NGO Forum$Paths out of Poverty: The Role of NGOs” (1995) where it was reported that 150 people representing NGOs participated in the Forum.
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31. Apparently the Prime Minister of Japan told the Queen in 1954 that Japan wished to join the Commonwealth, but this was not pursued. See J. D. Miller. Survey of Commonwealth Affairs$Problems of Expansion and Attrition 1953–1969 (1974). pp.392–393. cited in Papadopoulos. idem. p.7.
32. “Welcome to Mozambique” (1996) Commonwealth Currents 4.
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35. Letter dated 2 Feb. 1996 to the Commonwealth Secretary-General from Gidean Kajinamura. Ambassador of Rwanda to the UK, referred to in R. Sanders. “The Commonwealth Must Not Wake Up Feeling Terrible” (1996) The Round Table 287.292.
36. The Auckland Communiqué (1995). para.10.
37. “Britain and the Future Roles of the Commonwealth” (editorial) (1995) The Round Table iii. v. This point was also made by Nigeria's Foreign Minister. Chief Tomi Ikimi. in his press conference at Auckland where he stated with reference to the Harare Declaration that “we were sure that few Commonwealth countries would get a clean bill”.
38. The text of the speech is reproduced in (1996) The Round Table 131.132.
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55. See Report of the Commonwealth Secretary-General (. p. 134 for a diagram of the Secretariat's structure.
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63. “Promoting Good Governance”. Report (1995), pp. 15–40.
64. Report (1991).
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66. The Commonwealth Secretariat has also produced a manual by M. Seydegart et al. Hitman Rights Training for Public Officials (1990). as a practical guide for officials thinking of running human rights programmes.
67. See Report of the Commonwealth Secretary-General (1995). p.20.
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69. African J.Int. and Comp.L., p.298.
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71. The Limassol Communique (1993). Human rights are discussed specifically in paras. 7–11.
72. See the Lusaka Declaration of the Commonwealth on Racism and Racial Prejudice (1979).
73. The Kuala Lumpur Communique (1989). para.51.
74. The London Communique (1977), para.35.
75. The Harare Communique (1991). para.16.
76. Amnesty International. Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting Strengthens Commitment to Human Rights (1991). p.2.
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78. Transcript of News Conference with Prime Minister Hawke. Harare. 20 Oct. 1991, p.3.
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80. See “CHOGM Bid to Tie Human Rights to Aid Stalls”. The Australian, 16 0ct. 1991. and
81. Transcript of the Joint News Conference with Prime Ministers Hawke and Mulroney. Harare. 14 Oct. 1991.
82. See B. Mulroney, “Global Report: World Political Overview”, speech delivered at the Harare CHOGM on 16 Oct. 1991. p.2.
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85. “The Commonwealth After the CHOGM in Cyprus” (editorial) (1994) The Round Table 3.
86. CHRI. Act Right Now (1993). p.17.
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89. “Nigeria Accuses Us of Rights Abuse”. The Weekend Australian. 11–12 Nov. 1995.
90. See Section B. “Measures in Response to Violations of Harare Principles” in The Millbrook Commonwealth Action Programme on the Harare Commonwealth Declaration (1995).
91. “Auckland. November 1995: The Kia Kaha CHOGM” (editorial) (1996) The Round Table iii. vi.
92. See the Auckland Communiqué (1995), para.10: “Commonwealth Heads of Government, with the exception of The Gambia, agreed to suspend Nigeria from membership.” The Solomon Islands initially refused to support the suspension of Nigeria, but later withdrew its opposition;
93. Judicial Colloquium in Bangalore, Developing Human Rights Jurisprudence$The Domestic Application of International Human Rights Norms (1988). For a statement of the Bangalore Principles see idem, pp.ix-x. The Harare Declaration on Human Rights espoused at the Second Judicial Colloquium on the Domestic Application of International Human Rights Norms is extracted in M. D. Kirby, “Harare Declaration on Human Rights” (1989) 15 Commonwealth Law Bull. 999, 1002–1005.
94. See “Abuja Confirmation of the Domestic Application of International Human Rights Norms” (1992) 18 Commonwealth Law Bull. 298–303.
95. See “1993 High Level Judicial Colloquium. Bloemfontein. South Africa” (1993) 19 Commonwealth Law Bull. 1644.
96. “How Can Parliamentarians Improve Standards of Human Rights?” (1996) 77 The Parliamentarian 23–26.
97. The Parliamentarian. p.23.
98. In para.40 of the communiqué of the 1990 Meeting of Commonwealth Law Ministers the “Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to human rights, which is a constant theme running through all Commonwealth legal issues”, reproduced in (1990) 16 Commonwealth Law Bull. 1030.
99. para.5. in (1993) 19 Commonwealth Law Bull. 2006:
100. See S. Singh, “Extradition and Human Rights: An Australian Approach”, Proceedings of the Fourth Annual Meeting of ANZIL and the ILA. 17, 19 May 1996, pp.115.118.
101. For the full text of the Commonwealth Scheme for the Rendition of Fugitive Offenders, as amended in 1990, see (1990) 16 Commonwealth Law Bull. 1036.
102. Scheme Relating to Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters within the Commonwealth, para.7 (1996) 16 Commonwealth Law Bull. 1043.1044.
103. CHRI. Put Our World to Rights$Towards a Commonwealth Human Rights Policy (1991). p.16.
104. Put Our World to Rights$Towards a Commonwealth Human Rights Policy (, p.iii.
105. See CHRI. chap.II: “The Record of Human Rights in the Commonwealth”, pp. 20–33.
106. See CHRI. Rights DO Matter (1995). chaps.2 and 3. In 1995 CHRI also held a workshop on the topic of prisons, resulting in its report Behind Prison Walls$Police, Prisons and Human Rights (1995).
107. Rights DO Matter (. p.183.
108. CHRI, Nigeria Stolen by Generals$Abuja After the Harare Commonwealth Declaration (1995), p.iii.
109. R. Bourne, “The Commonwealth and Human Rights” (1991) The Round Table 411, 412.
110. The Round Table, p.413.
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112. The OAS and the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (. p.29.
113. Report of the Commonwealth Secretary-General (1991). p.41.
114. Report of the Commonwealth Secretary-General (1995). p.17.
115. The Vancouver Statement is quoted in “Fiji no longer C'wealth member” (1987) Commonwealth Currents 5.
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117. See “Selected Regional Human Rights Treaties”, in the Amnesty International Report (1996).pp.357–359.
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120. The Round Table, pp.388–389.
121. “Measures in Response to Violation of Harare Principles”, para.3(i).
122. “CHOGMs Chamber of Horrors. and How to Fix it”. The Weekend Australian, 12–13 Oct. 1991.
123. See e.g. F. Capotorti, “'The International Measures of Implementation included in the Covenants on Human Rights” and
124. S. MacBride, “The Strengthening of International Machinery for the Protection of Human Rights”, in A. Eide and A. Schou (Eds). International Protection of Human Rights (1968). pp.142.158 respectively.
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126. C. Ogunrinde. “Democracy Quest Branded as Mission Impossible” Gemini News Service. 19 July 1996.
127. D. Ingram. “Abacha Keeps Commonwealth Outside the Door” Gemini News Service. 11 Mar. 1996.
128. “Commonwealth Proposes Further Measures Against Military Regime in Nigeria” (1996) 2 Commonwealth Currents 3.
129. However. Canada decided to impose certain sanctions immediately. See “Dialogue with Military Regimes” (1996) 3 Commonwealth Currents 7.
130. Joint Statement by the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group on the Harare Declaration and the Government of Nigeria, in (1996) The Round Table 510.
131. D. Ingram. “Nigeria Outwits Eight Foreign Ministers” Gemini News Service. 28 June 1996.
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133. “The Commonwealth and Human Rights” (editorial) (1995) The Round Table iii, iv.
134. M. Doxey, “Continuity and Change in the Commonwealth” (1989) Yearbook of World Affairs 76.98.
135. Yearbook of World Affairs