Including Lanka on CMAG agenda contrary to C’wealth rules: GL tells Sharma

The inclusion of Sri Lanka in the agenda of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) agenda runs contrary to Commonwealth rules, External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris told Commonwealth Secretary General, Kamalesh Sharma in London earlier this week.

Issuing a media release, the Ministry of External Affairs says Minister Peiris made a strong case against a proposal to include Sri Lanka in the agenda of the CMAG when the group meets in London in April.

“The Minister pointed out that such a course of action is contrary to the decisions taken by the Commonwealth Heads of Government at their meeting in Perth, Western Australia in October 2011 regarding the mandate of CMAG and the scope of its functions,” the External Affairs Ministry statement said.

The Minister had emphasised to the Secretary General the crucial need to preserve the essential character of the Commonwealth as a voluntary association of sovereign states, “characterised by a striking diversity of cultures and outlook among the 54 states comprising the organisation,” the release added.

Peiris told Sharma, that any attempt to politicise the organisation or to permit its structures and mechanisms to be used as instruments by some countries to interfere in the domestic issues of other countries, would inevitably distort the cultural ethos of the Commonwealth and pose significant challenges with regard to its future, the Ministry says.

CMAG is the Commonwealth body that deals with violations of the Commonwealth’s fundamental political values. It has the authority to suspend a member country from the Association. Canada has repeatedly called for Sri Lanka to be placed on CMAG’s agenda when the Group meets in April, especially after the impeachment of the Chief Justice by the Sri Lankan Government. As hosts of the next major Commonwealth Summit, it will be extraordinary if Sri Lanka is included on the CMAG agenda.

CMAG can be convened by the Secretary-General when required to deal with a perceived violation of the Commonwealth principles.

The current membership of the group is Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Jamaica, Maldives*, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago and Vanuatu. Maldives is currently suspended from the Group.

According to the Ministry, Secretary-General Sharma told the visiting Minister that he was looking forward to his visit to Sri Lanka and that he was pleased with the arrangements under way for the meeting of the Heads of Government.

Sharma will arrive in Colombo next week. Peiris held discussions with Sharma regarding the upcoming meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka in November this year, the statement from the Ministry says.

The Minister is reported to have briefed the Secretary General in detail about the arrangements being made by the Government of Sri Lanka to host the conference in Colombo and the Commonwealth Business Forum on the sidelines.

He expressed satisfaction about Sri Lanka’s dialogue with Dr Mohan Kaul regarding the Business Council which involves a focus on Sri Lanka not only as a destination for investment but also as a trading and knowledge hub, the Ministry statement said.

The Ministry said that Peiris had briefed Sharma about the discussions which he held in New Delhi last month regarding the summit, and in particular about Sri Lanka’s support for the Secretary-General’s proposal with regard to the establishment of a Commonwealth Bank for Trade and Investment.

The statement from the Ministry also said that Secretary-General Sharma was also briefed about the recent visits to Sri Lanka by Senator Robert Carr, Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Julie Bishop, Australia’s Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Foreign Minister.

Prof. Peiris said that Australia was sharing with Sri Lanka the experience it had gained from successfully organising the last meeting of the Heads of Government less than two years ago and that this collaboration was greatly appreciated by Sri Lanka, the statement said.