Author: A. Y. TOLSTUKHINA A. Y. TOLSTUKHINA Candidate of the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Commonwealth of Nations Keywords:, Commonwealth Summit 2011, Perth Declaration The Commonwealth of Nations (until 1947 the British Commonwealth of Nations), formed in 1946, is defined by the 1971 Singapore Declaration of Principles as "a voluntary association of independent sovereign States that consult and cooperate for the common interests of their peoples and for the promotion of international understanding and world peace".1. This intergovernmental organization includes the United Kingdom and almost all of its former dominions, colonies and protectorates: 54 countries with a population of about 2 billion. human. It operates through a powerful network of various structures, governmental and non-governmental organizations. The members of the Commonwealth have a lot in common: the similarity of a number of characteristics of political, legal and educational systems, the use of English as an intermediary. Throughout its history, the Commonwealth has sought to improve its form and structure, expand its range of interests and tasks, and adapt to the ever-changing international environment. IT WAS SMOOTH ON PAPER... During the Cold War, the Commonwealth sought to establish a dialogue between the countries of the North and the South.2 The agenda included issues of decolonization, assistance to developing countries, and international trade. The emphasis was placed on inter-State relations, and the internal policies of the member states and their model of state structure did not arouse much interest. However, since 1964, the official documents of the Commonwealth began to feature problems of race relations-the situation in Southern Rhodesia was actively discussed, and apartheid in South Africa was condemned. After the collapse of the USSR, the Commonwealth, freed from the shackles of ideological confrontation between the two camps, ... Read more