UK Blocks Zimbabwe’s Return To Commonwealth
The United Kingdom has said Zimbabwe must reform its governance and human rights record before being readmitted into the Commonwealth. In effect, the UK has blocked Zimbabwe’s return to the organisation from which it was suspended in 2002.
Although the Commonwealth Secretariat had recommended Zimbabwe’s readmission after giving member countries until November 26 to share their views, any decision to readmit the country requires unanimous approval from all members.
The UK’s Foreign Office has made it clear that the time is not yet right for Zimbabwe’s reintegration into the Commonwealth.
In a written response to a question by Baroness Kate Hoey in the House of Lords, the foreign office said:
The UK has always been clear that we would like to see Zimbabwe return to the Commonwealth when the time is right.
However, currently, we do not share the secretariat’s assessment of Zimbabwe’s progress or readiness in line with the shared values and principles laid out in the Commonwealth Charter.
Whilst we recognise there has been progress, we believe further steps are needed on democracy, governance and human rights before Zimbabwe makes a formal application to rejoin the Commonwealth.
The UK said that Zimbabwe has yet to implement key recommendations made by the Commonwealth Election Observer Mission.
The observers highlighted several deficiencies, including the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s lack of independence, prohibitively high candidate registration fees that hinder participation, limited judicial independence, and a lack of transparency in the announcement of election results.
The UK said it would “encourage a further Commonwealth assessment mission to Zimbabwe in 2025 to follow up on these areas.” The foreign office added:
The UK strongly values our partnership with Zimbabwe and stands ready to support further reforms in this regard, through the Commonwealth and other fora.
The Commonwealth is a political association of 56 member countries, most of which are former territories of the British Empire.
Membership includes a diverse range of countries from different continents, including Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and the Pacific. Notable members include the United Kingdom, Canada, India, Australia, and South Africa.
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