Ethos, Values and the 1991 Declaration

Abstract

In the argot of the contemporary Commonwealth, groups of buzzwords have been assembled to highlight the values that member countries strive to uphold. Democracy, human rights, good governance and the rule of law are seen as the concomitants of sustainable development, free trade, the role of the market economy, equal opportunities and consensus building. Each of these phrases has the superficial quality of a slogan, but, on definition and analysis, they sum up the endeavours and aspirations of a quarter-of-a-century and they were restated at the start of the 1990s to signify a minor revolution.