Canadian parliament. [photo: Richard Duguay/ Alamy]
[This is an excerpt from an article in The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs and Policy Studies.]
The King and the Commonwealth
Shortly before he handed over the premiership to Carney, Trudeau visited King Charles III who, we need to remind ourselves, is also the King of Canada and constitutional head of state. Trudeau was publicly guarded about details of their conversation, but it was clear he was at Sandringham to discuss the Trump threat and ask for help.
On his first overseas trip within two days after being sworn in, Carney followed suit. To Canadian watchers, the King is responding in subtle, symbolic but noticeable ways – acting as a royal diplomat, as his mother did before him. (The nuances may well be lost on Trump and the wider American public, but they are not lost on Canadians.) In mid-March he bestowed a new ceremonial sword to the Senate of Canada’s Usher of the Black Rod, Gregory Peters who is the King’s personal and senior protocol officer. The day after meeting Trudeau on 3 March, he wore his Canadian medals (the Order of Canada, Order of Military Merit and Canadian Forces Decoration) during a visit to HMS Prince of Wales. (However, according to news reports, he also wore medals from Australia and New Zealand.) The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation also noted that Catherine, Princess of Wales wore Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) red during a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey.
What has been striking for those closely following the reporting and commentary about Trump and Canada in the past months, is the absence of any mention of the Commonwealth. Also absent, has been any word of support or concern for Canada from the Commonwealth Secretariat.
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So why would this association of 56 independent and sovereign states with a combined population of 2.7 billion people not warrant a mention when the economy and – if you believe Trump’s repeated pronouncements – the very existence of a member country is threatened? This silence is particularly striking, given Canada’s leading and sustained support for the Commonwealth over many decades; and given the repeated declared support by Commonwealth heads of government in CHOGM communiques for Belize in its territorial dispute with Honduras and in support of Guyana against Venezuelan claims over the Essequibo region.
Why would the association as a whole, through whatever means it chooses, be silent when a member nation faces such a significant existential threat? Is it because the Commonwealth’s regional organisations, and individual countries are each facing different major challenges from the Trump administration? For this isn’t just about Canada. It’s also about South Africa and Trump’s decision to cut life-saving HIV anti-retroviral medication based on the spurious claim that the country is discriminating against white farmers. It’s about poorer African Commonwealth countries that will suffer because of Trump’s decision to gut USAID and deprive millions of the necessities of life and health; and pressure on Caribbean Commonwealth members about Cuban doctors and medical personnel.
If the Commonwealth wants to preserve its relevance as an international body, can it afford to stay outside the fray at a time when one powerful leader is attempting to upend the entire world order? The current turmoil in the international system poses considerable challenges and opportunities for incoming Secretary General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey. She has the opportunity to establish herself as a strong, visionary leader willing to drag the Commonwealth out of its comfort zone and test its strength as a cohesive influential body capable of punching, if not above its weight, then something close to its potential.
Shortly after being elected in Samoa in October 2024, Botchwey promised to enhance the Commonwealth’s ‘global voice’ and ‘amplify marginalized voices’. She added,
I shall prioritize inclusive and effective decision-making, leveraging technology to bridge gaps and amplify marginalized voices. My extensive experience in diplomacy, trade, defense, security and communications has prepared me well for this challenge.
She has set herself a high bar.
The Commonwealth does not have an army, but it does have other diplomatic weapons and advantages at its disposal. Whichever strategy they choose to employ, it’s time for the Commonwealth leaders and their new Secretary General to get their elbows up and tell the world that the Commonwealth is in the game and ready to fight for the rights of its 56 members and its 2.6 billion people.
Chris Cobb is a Canadian journalist and the President of the Commonwealth Journalists Association.
