Соединенное Королевство и Страны содружества на современном этапе.

The heads of government of member states meet every two years to consider current issues, and sometimes to make declarations on agreed principles. For example, in 1971 the Singapore Declaration stated: “We believe in the liberty of the individual, in equal rights for all citizens regardless of race, color, creed or political belief, and in their inalienable right toparticipate by means of free and democratic political processes in framing the society in which they live.” As with United Nations, many members fall short of their undertakings.It is easy to think of the Commonwealth as a cosy association. In fact it has times of great stress. Three of which were a direct consequence of British policy. When Britain refused to send troops to restore Rhodesia to British rule in 1964, the Commonwealth came close to disintegration. Its entry into the European Community greatly damaged relations with Commonwealth trading partners in the 1970s, and its refusal to apply economic sanctions against South Africa nearly resulted in the relocation of the Secretariat to Toronto. Meanwhile a number of Conservative MPs openly expressed the view that the Commonwealth was no longer worth having. It was the quiet diplomacy of the Queen herself which healed this rift.The current popularity and growth of the Commonwealth may signal its success. Yet the great virtue of the Commonwealth in the 1960s and early 1970s was the intimacy of this varied club. The larger the Commonwealth becomes, the harder it is to ensure it remains a place for the uninhibited exchange of views and to achieve consensus.In fact, Britainsees enormous advantages in being an active member of the Commonwealth family – a unique organisation that has:one quarter of the world’s sovereign states20 per cent of the world’s landmassone in three of the world’s populationone permanent member of the UN Security Council; two members of the G7; three members of the European Union; and five members of the G20.Today British Government has made clear that the Commonwealth is of immense importance to the United Kingdom. No matter how you look at the relationship – historic, cultural, or our personal ties – the connection of Britain with the Commonwealth is stronger now than ever. The fact that Commonwealth citizens resident in the UK have the right to vote in the forthcoming referendum shows just how close that connection is.British commitment to the Commonwealth is clear. A large part of the UK’s aid budget is spent in Commonwealth countries — £1.88 billion in 2013-14. They remain the largest contributor to the Commonwealth Secretariat. And the Commonwealth itself is thriving. It now covers nearly a quarter of the world’s land mass and more than a third of its people. It boasts a combined Gross National Income of 10.7 trillion dollars, and a youthful population, of whom 60 per cent are under the age of 30.The Commonwealth thrives because of its great diversity. Whether large or small, developed or developing, from Canada’s glaciers to the African plains or tropical beaches of the Pacific – the Commonwealth has it all. Trade, for instance, is on average 19% cheaper between Commonwealth countries due to similarities in their legal systems and language. Being a core part of it is clearly in national interest of Britain.BibliographyLevashova V.A. Britain Today: life and institutionsMcDowell, D. Britain in Close-Up. – Longman, 2013Walker A. The Commonwealth: A New Lookhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/http://thecommonwealth.org