It is about inclusion
Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Deodat Maharaj was in Namibia recently, and took time out of his busy schedule to speak to Namibian Sun’s Gordon Joseph. Maharaj spoke about the relevance of the Commonwealth, its youth agenda, decolonisation and optimism for Africa.
GJ: Let’s talk Commonwealth. What does the Commonwealth stand for?
DM: The theme for the Commonwealth is an inclusive Commonwealth; we believe you need to include all partners and every citizen, that’s at a country level. At a global level, given the configuration of members, 31 of 53 members are small states. Therefore, when we speak about inclusiveness at an international level, we believe that every state should have an equal space at the table. Whether you are in Namibia, with 800-plus square metres of land, or in another country, you have the right to an equal outcome. There is one equality at national level. We cannot have equality of convenience; it is the same at a global stage.
GJ: But there is inequality even within Commonwealth member countries. In many developing Commonwealth countries, the poor and rural people are really hopeless.
DM: When you talk about marginalisation, this is something that we recognise in the Commonwealth. You can’t advance human development if you don’t involve everyone. I am from a place called Trinidad and Tobago, a small country in the Caribbean, and I know you need all your human resources to advance development, you can’t leave anyone behind. In Namibia you are lucky, you have diamonds, you have copper, uranium, but as night falls, all these things will run out. It is critical, the best thing any developing country can do, especially those that rely on commodities and the extractive industries, is to invest in human capital. Because in places like Namibia and Trinidad and Tobago where I come from, you rely on your knowledge and the knowledge that’s in your people. It should not be about exclusion. It’s about inclusion and tapping into the sum total of your resources.
GJ: So how does the Commonwealth benefit smaller countries like Namibia?
DM: You see, 31 of our 53 members are small states. At the Commonwealth, small states have a platform which they don’t have anywhere else. In a lot of forums, your voice will be lost. Here you are in the majority. Also, the Commonwealth, because of its structure, is a family of nations. You have India, South Africa, Australia, the UK and Canada; you have five G20 countries in the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth can be used to advance the interests of its members and give them a voice in forums where you don’t have a voice normally. Namibia, through the Commonwealth and G20 nations, can have a voice. Secondly, the Commonwealth has a working group on small states that specifically advocates for the needs and interests of small states. More specifically, Namibia, because of your per capita income, is classified as a middle income country. We in the Commonwealth are making a case and advocating that small and vulnerable states should have additional criteria for country classification, because one natural disaster, as we saw in Fiji with the cyclone, one natural disaster can eradicate a generation of development, and therefore in a matter of hours, you can move from higher income to middle income to zero income. Therefore, we are making an argument that vulnerability should be used as a criterion to determine the countries which have access to concessional financing. Also, the Commonwealth has enormous convening power. So every two years, the Commonwealth heads meet. And your president sits at the table with the prime minister of the U.K, the prime minister of Australia. Every year the Commonwealth health ministers meet; the Commonwealth finance ministers meet. We use that convening power to advocate for countries, particularly developing countries.
GJ: The Commonwealth prides itself in being a custodian for development, good governance and protection of human rights. Many found it uncomfortable when the Commonwealth allowed Rwanda to join, considering its troubling history when it comes to human rights violations.
DM: Well, the framework we use now, we use the SDGs, COP 21 and the Commonwealth Charter. The respect for human rights is in the Commonwealth Charter. I can only speak about what I saw after I joined the Commonwealth. I joined after Rwanda became a member. What I can say is that our secretary-general is quite committed to the human rights agenda, as we all are, because fundamental to our charter is the issue of development. We remain absolutely committed to the issue of development. There’s a process obviously. If a member is believed to be in breach of any of the Commonwealth principles, we can suspend that member and we have suspended members. We have expelled members for breaches of our fundamental Commonwealth principles and values.
GJ: But so many Commonwealth members, including Namibia, have in many instances shown such disregard for human rights and human dignity. The Namibian government still does not allow condoms in jails for example, violating people’s rights, to some extent healthcare and the right to protect them. In many Commonwealth states, the LGBTQI people still experience great oppression and great violence and are denied many rights.
DM: Well, our Commonwealth SG has been quite clear that we believe in an inclusive Commonwealth. We will continue to highlight that. The current chair of the Commonwealth has said there is only one equality. You can’t have equality to vote, and not be respected because of your orientation. We will continue to advocate for that. The Commonwealth is quite active on legislation and helping improve and enhance legislative practices. Remember we work in broad areas: free and fair elections, human rights, rule of law, providing technical support for your magistrates here, helping the government with legislation for its mineral sector, working with youth and young people. In the area of youth, we have been working on young people’s issues for 40 years. We have a duly elected Commonwealth Youth Council and there are many different forums and mechanisms that can be used to advocate for all these issues. So it’s not only us in the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, but it’s out network and others who are involved and engaged with the Commonwealth.
GJ: What strides has the Commonwealth made in terms of youth development, especially in developing states?
DM: The Commonwealth is the organisation that supported and advanced the professionalisation of youth work. Now you have a diploma and degree programme in youth work, which we supported the University of West Indies to develop. We have also established national youth policies in the Caribbean, in Africa and Asia. We have established Commonwealth networks of youth entrepreneurs. We have done it for Asia, the Caribbean, and working on it for Southern Africa. This is probably the only organisation that has young people represented at the highest forums. We also have an arrangement with the Commonwealth Youth Council as a duly recognised and elected voice for young people. We have established a Commonwealth student association to reflect and represent Commonwealth students. That, I think, shows a lot of commitment. We also have Commonwealth network of youth on climate change. We don’t see the youth as agents of change and drivers of development only. We see them as partners. Since its establishment the Commonwealth scholarship programme has awarded 30 000 scholarships.
GJ: Do you think the Commonwealth would have greater relevance if it had the power to hold its members accountable for inaction when it comes to things like not providing public healthcare?
I think it depends on what you are doing. It depends on your core and strategic areas. Our youth agenda is very clear. There, we are taking action and we are getting results. The work we are doing strengthening democracy and political participation, and supporting free and fair elections, that’s very clear as well. The challenge is that as a small organisation we can’t do everything. In the areas where we accord strategic priorities which heads of state have given us, we are quite strong in those areas.
GJ: In southern Africa, there is debate about the legacy of colonial figures in Africa, such as Cecil John Rhodes, who are often hailed in Europe and the UK. What are your thoughts on the conversations about decolonisation?
DM: My view is that when I talk about the Commonwealth, I talk about a Commonwealth where Mozambique is a member, where Cameroon is a member. The Commonwealth I talk about is the Commonwealth that represents the interest of 32 small countries that gives them a platform that they don’t ordinarily have, a Commonwealth that advances the youth agenda. The Commonwealth I talk about is a Commonwealth that articulates in its charter and its values of freedom of expression and freedom of the media. As a Commonwealth we certainly support open conversations on these issues. You can’t have a convenient conversation.
GJ: There are fears that Britain’s decision to leave the EU might lead to smaller Commonwealth members losing some of the benefits they reaped from its EU membership. Do these countries have reason to fear?
DM: Many of our member countries wanted the UK to remain in the EU as representative of their interest in the EU. We spoke about the Commonwealth values; we respect the voice of the people, and the British people have spoken. We have to respect their wishes.
GJ: But will Brexit have some effect on Commonwealth member states?
DM: I think there will be a period of uncertainty, as there is some cost advantage with trading within the Commonwealth. But what we see though, is an increase in intra-Commonwealth trade, and we are expected to reach one trillion by 2020 and by 2030 it will reach 2.75 trillion. This does however not mean that the Commonwealth should replace the EU. I think that you have a rise in Asia and there is much hope and room for optimism. I am very optimistic about Africa and Asia, this Agenda 2063. The Africa that we want is what I find to be a powerful tool to rally and bring Africa together. And the thing is for that to be done; we need to have free movement of people, better infrastructure in Africa. It costs more, I believe, to ship a container from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to Europe than to Lusaka from Dar es Salaam.
GORDON JOSEPH
GJ: Let’s talk Commonwealth. What does the Commonwealth stand for?
DM: The theme for the Commonwealth is an inclusive Commonwealth; we believe you need to include all partners and every citizen, that’s at a country level. At a global level, given the configuration of members, 31 of 53 members are small states. Therefore, when we speak about inclusiveness at an international level, we believe that every state should have an equal space at the table. Whether you are in Namibia, with 800-plus square metres of land, or in another country, you have the right to an equal outcome. There is one equality at national level. We cannot have equality of convenience; it is the same at a global stage.
GJ: But there is inequality even within Commonwealth member countries. In many developing Commonwealth countries, the poor and rural people are really hopeless.
DM: When you talk about marginalisation, this is something that we recognise in the Commonwealth. You can’t advance human development if you don’t involve everyone. I am from a place called Trinidad and Tobago, a small country in the Caribbean, and I know you need all your human resources to advance development, you can’t leave anyone behind. In Namibia you are lucky, you have diamonds, you have copper, uranium, but as night falls, all these things will run out. It is critical, the best thing any developing country can do, especially those that rely on commodities and the extractive industries, is to invest in human capital. Because in places like Namibia and Trinidad and Tobago where I come from, you rely on your knowledge and the knowledge that’s in your people. It should not be about exclusion. It’s about inclusion and tapping into the sum total of your resources.
GJ: So how does the Commonwealth benefit smaller countries like Namibia?
DM: You see, 31 of our 53 members are small states. At the Commonwealth, small states have a platform which they don’t have anywhere else. In a lot of forums, your voice will be lost. Here you are in the majority. Also, the Commonwealth, because of its structure, is a family of nations. You have India, South Africa, Australia, the UK and Canada; you have five G20 countries in the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth can be used to advance the interests of its members and give them a voice in forums where you don’t have a voice normally. Namibia, through the Commonwealth and G20 nations, can have a voice. Secondly, the Commonwealth has a working group on small states that specifically advocates for the needs and interests of small states. More specifically, Namibia, because of your per capita income, is classified as a middle income country. We in the Commonwealth are making a case and advocating that small and vulnerable states should have additional criteria for country classification, because one natural disaster, as we saw in Fiji with the cyclone, one natural disaster can eradicate a generation of development, and therefore in a matter of hours, you can move from higher income to middle income to zero income. Therefore, we are making an argument that vulnerability should be used as a criterion to determine the countries which have access to concessional financing. Also, the Commonwealth has enormous convening power. So every two years, the Commonwealth heads meet. And your president sits at the table with the prime minister of the U.K, the prime minister of Australia. Every year the Commonwealth health ministers meet; the Commonwealth finance ministers meet. We use that convening power to advocate for countries, particularly developing countries.
GJ: The Commonwealth prides itself in being a custodian for development, good governance and protection of human rights. Many found it uncomfortable when the Commonwealth allowed Rwanda to join, considering its troubling history when it comes to human rights violations.
DM: Well, the framework we use now, we use the SDGs, COP 21 and the Commonwealth Charter. The respect for human rights is in the Commonwealth Charter. I can only speak about what I saw after I joined the Commonwealth. I joined after Rwanda became a member. What I can say is that our secretary-general is quite committed to the human rights agenda, as we all are, because fundamental to our charter is the issue of development. We remain absolutely committed to the issue of development. There’s a process obviously. If a member is believed to be in breach of any of the Commonwealth principles, we can suspend that member and we have suspended members. We have expelled members for breaches of our fundamental Commonwealth principles and values.
GJ: But so many Commonwealth members, including Namibia, have in many instances shown such disregard for human rights and human dignity. The Namibian government still does not allow condoms in jails for example, violating people’s rights, to some extent healthcare and the right to protect them. In many Commonwealth states, the LGBTQI people still experience great oppression and great violence and are denied many rights.
DM: Well, our Commonwealth SG has been quite clear that we believe in an inclusive Commonwealth. We will continue to highlight that. The current chair of the Commonwealth has said there is only one equality. You can’t have equality to vote, and not be respected because of your orientation. We will continue to advocate for that. The Commonwealth is quite active on legislation and helping improve and enhance legislative practices. Remember we work in broad areas: free and fair elections, human rights, rule of law, providing technical support for your magistrates here, helping the government with legislation for its mineral sector, working with youth and young people. In the area of youth, we have been working on young people’s issues for 40 years. We have a duly elected Commonwealth Youth Council and there are many different forums and mechanisms that can be used to advocate for all these issues. So it’s not only us in the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, but it’s out network and others who are involved and engaged with the Commonwealth.
GJ: What strides has the Commonwealth made in terms of youth development, especially in developing states?
DM: The Commonwealth is the organisation that supported and advanced the professionalisation of youth work. Now you have a diploma and degree programme in youth work, which we supported the University of West Indies to develop. We have also established national youth policies in the Caribbean, in Africa and Asia. We have established Commonwealth networks of youth entrepreneurs. We have done it for Asia, the Caribbean, and working on it for Southern Africa. This is probably the only organisation that has young people represented at the highest forums. We also have an arrangement with the Commonwealth Youth Council as a duly recognised and elected voice for young people. We have established a Commonwealth student association to reflect and represent Commonwealth students. That, I think, shows a lot of commitment. We also have Commonwealth network of youth on climate change. We don’t see the youth as agents of change and drivers of development only. We see them as partners. Since its establishment the Commonwealth scholarship programme has awarded 30 000 scholarships.
GJ: Do you think the Commonwealth would have greater relevance if it had the power to hold its members accountable for inaction when it comes to things like not providing public healthcare?
I think it depends on what you are doing. It depends on your core and strategic areas. Our youth agenda is very clear. There, we are taking action and we are getting results. The work we are doing strengthening democracy and political participation, and supporting free and fair elections, that’s very clear as well. The challenge is that as a small organisation we can’t do everything. In the areas where we accord strategic priorities which heads of state have given us, we are quite strong in those areas.
GJ: In southern Africa, there is debate about the legacy of colonial figures in Africa, such as Cecil John Rhodes, who are often hailed in Europe and the UK. What are your thoughts on the conversations about decolonisation?
DM: My view is that when I talk about the Commonwealth, I talk about a Commonwealth where Mozambique is a member, where Cameroon is a member. The Commonwealth I talk about is the Commonwealth that represents the interest of 32 small countries that gives them a platform that they don’t ordinarily have, a Commonwealth that advances the youth agenda. The Commonwealth I talk about is a Commonwealth that articulates in its charter and its values of freedom of expression and freedom of the media. As a Commonwealth we certainly support open conversations on these issues. You can’t have a convenient conversation.
GJ: There are fears that Britain’s decision to leave the EU might lead to smaller Commonwealth members losing some of the benefits they reaped from its EU membership. Do these countries have reason to fear?
DM: Many of our member countries wanted the UK to remain in the EU as representative of their interest in the EU. We spoke about the Commonwealth values; we respect the voice of the people, and the British people have spoken. We have to respect their wishes.
GJ: But will Brexit have some effect on Commonwealth member states?
DM: I think there will be a period of uncertainty, as there is some cost advantage with trading within the Commonwealth. But what we see though, is an increase in intra-Commonwealth trade, and we are expected to reach one trillion by 2020 and by 2030 it will reach 2.75 trillion. This does however not mean that the Commonwealth should replace the EU. I think that you have a rise in Asia and there is much hope and room for optimism. I am very optimistic about Africa and Asia, this Agenda 2063. The Africa that we want is what I find to be a powerful tool to rally and bring Africa together. And the thing is for that to be done; we need to have free movement of people, better infrastructure in Africa. It costs more, I believe, to ship a container from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to Europe than to Lusaka from Dar es Salaam.
GORDON JOSEPH
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