New Zealand's Involvement with the Commonwealth

New Zealand is a founding member of the Commonwealth and has long been involved in a wide range of Commonwealth activities. A multitude of Commonwealth meetings and consultations have been hosted in New Zealand cities, including the 1995 Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Auckland and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Meeting in Wellington in 1998. New Zealand has hosted three Commonwealth Games.

New Zealand is currently the sxith largest contributor to the Commonwealth Secretariat budget by volume. It also contribute voluntarily to a number of Commonwealth organisations.

New Zealand has actively promoted the Commonwealth’s core beliefs and principles through past and present membership of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) and continuing membership of the Commonwealth Ministerial Group on Small States.

Since 1992, New Zealanders have participated in numerous Commonwealth missions to observe elections in member countries, most recently the Parliamentary elections in Lesotho in February 2007.

 New Zealanders may view the Commonwealth from many angles but its value is still as relevant today as when it was first formed, Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon told in a speech to the Orewa Rotary Club today and he said that democracy and development were the two foundations of the modern Commonwealth:

Speaking in his former electorate, Don McKinnon said the Commonwealth is not sitting on the shelf of international organisations:

“The Commonwealth constantly adapts to the times, and is as relevant today as it was to our family forebears in this country. Certainly, the Commonwealth is more relevant to New Zealanders today than is widely recognised. (...) Commonwealth membership makes New Zealand a member of a worldwide community of values. The bonds of values are both spoken and unspoken: either way, they are very strong.”