Recovering Queen signs Commonwealth charter

ARCHIVES 2013

By admin-s On Mar 12, 2013

(BBC) – The Commonwealth, which accounts for 30% of the world’s population, has for the first time drawn up a charter that details 16 core beliefs, which was adopted by all 54 member states in December.

The Queen has signed a charter setting out the Commonwealth’s values and commitment to equal rights.

She made her first official public appearance in more than a week at the Marlborough House reception in London.

Earlier, the Queen was forced to pull out of the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, for only the second time since becoming monarch.

Buckingham Palace said she was still recovering from the symptoms of gastroenteritis.

The Commonwealth, which accounts for 30% of the world’s population, has for the first time drawn up a charter that details 16 core beliefs, which was adopted by all 54 member states in December.

These include upholding democracy and opposing “all forms of discrimination” although it does not explicitly include discrimination against gay people. In some Commonwealth countries, homosexual acts are illegal.

The charter states: “We are implacably opposed to all forms of discrimination, whether rooted in gender, race, colour, creed, political belief or other grounds.”

Guests at Marlborough House including Commonwealth high commissioners heard the Queen say the charter “represents a significant milestone as the Commonwealth continues its journey of development and renewal”.

She told them: “We have now, for the first time, a single document that captures the core values and aspirations of the Commonwealth and all its members.”