top of page
  • Writer's pictureRCS Ottawa

What is the Commonwealth?


The Commonwealth of Nations, formerly the British Commonwealth of Nations, is a voluntary association of fifty-four sovereign states from every continent, covering a quarter of the world’s population. It’s objective is to promote international understanding and world peace through consultation and co-operation. All members are equal and free to follow their own policies while subscribing to a set of common ideals. Canada has been a member of the Commonwealth since 1931. The first Secretary-General of the Commonwealth was Dr. Arnold Smith, a Canadian.

Extracted from the Commonwealth Kit & Teacher’s Guide (2011.)

Courtesy of the Royal Commonwealth Society Ottawa.

#Commonwealth

9 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

In honour of the passing of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh on Friday, April 16, 2021, the Royal Commonwealth Society, Mainland BC, produced a special video. We encourage all to view this excellent video a

The Royal Commonwealth Society of Ottawa would like to offer our best wishes to Her Majesty The Queen on the occasion of her 95th birthday. We celebrate her life and reign: from a young girl who did

bottom of page