The Contemporary Commonwealth: An Assessment 1996-2009

This collection of essays has been assembled to mark the centenary of The Round Table. It provides an analysis of the modern Commonwealth since the establishment of the Secretariat in 1965.

Providing an overview of the contemporary Commonwealth, this book places the organization in its rich historical context while assessing its achievements, failures and prospects. The volume is divided into two parts:

‧ Part I concentrates on a series of themes, dealing with the structure and functioning of the Commonwealth and its major activities, including the work of the secretary general and secretariat, its championing of the interests of small states, human rights and the world economy.

‧ Part II adopts a regional perspective, identifying the impact of the Commonwealth on regional relations generally and particular problems that affect these relations. It also examines the ways in which the Commonwealth sometimes reinforces regional loyalties and interests but also the extent to which these have also reduced the importance of the Commonwealth in the foreign policy of its member states.

The Contemporary Commonwealth will be of interest to students and scholars of international politics and international organisations, practitioners ,journalists and those working in NGOs involved in Commonwealth affairs.

This collection of essays is intended as a companion volume to The Commonwealth and International Affairs, edited by Alex May, marking the centenary of The Round Table.

James Mayall is the Sir Patrick Sheehy Professor of International Relations and Director of the Centre of International Studies at the University of Cambridge, UK. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 2001.