Letter: Commonwealth is a closed shop

Sir: The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) convenes today in Cyprus. Topics for discussion are likely to include ways in which the Commonwealth can promote human rights, support development and protect the en-

vironment. But non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that are key actors in these areas will not be able to attend the CHOGM to raise their concerns or contribute their experiences. At the 1991 meeting in Zimbabwe Commonwealth nations declared:

Heads of Government noted the valuable contribution which private individuals, private associations and voluntary bodies of many kinds make to the Commonwealth's well-being.

However, despite strong calls from the NGO community, this contribution is not being fully welcomed in practice and only Commonwealth-specific NGOs such as the Commonwealth Journalists Association or Commonwealth Lawyers Association are to be given access to the CHOGM.

Other intergovernmental bodies are far more open. The UN has long since granted NGO accreditation for the Human Rights Commission and NGOs had wide access at the World Conference on Human Rights in June 1993. Regional bodies, such as the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe and the African Commission, also invite input from NGOs. The Commonwealth lags sadly behind.

We call on the British and other Commonwealth governments to raise this matter at the CHOGM and to ensure that the Commonwealth fully implements its resolutions and moves to a policy of real openness and accountability.

Yours faithfully,

FRANCES D'SOUZA, Article 19; URSULA OWEN, Index on Censorship; AKUILA YABAKI, Methodist Church; ALAN PHILLIPS, Minority Rights Group; ALF DUBS, Refugee Council; JULIA HAUSERMANN, Rights & Humanity; NICHOLAS HINTON, Save the Children Fund; JOANNE LEEDOM-ACKERMAN, Writers in Prison Committee of PEN; GIAMPI ALHADEFF, War on Want

London, SE1

21 October