SINGAPORE, 21 July - THE UK's Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon. David Miliband MP, and the Director of the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS), Dr Danny Sriskandarajah, launched The Commonwealth Conversation at the RCS in London yesterday.

As the Commonwealth celebrates its 60th anniversary, the RCS is kicking off an ambitious public consultation on the future of the 53-member association. Using online discussion forums, focus groups, opinion polling, and events around the world, the consultation will generate ideas for how to re-vitalise the Commonwealth for the 21st Century.

The Conversation is sponsored by the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office but independently managed by the RCS, the oldest and largest civil society organisation devoted to the Commonwealth.

Findings will be presented at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Trinidad and Tobago in November.

At the launch:

• Results were presented of opinion polls to test public awareness of the Commonwealth in Australia, Canada, India, Jamaica, Malaysia and South Africa. Please see headlines in "Notes to Editors" section below.
  
• The UK published a paper outlining its priorities for strengthening the Commonwealth.

Watch a video of the launch, read the UK’s position paper and join in the conversation at www.thecommonwealthconversation.org

Notes for Editors

Headlines from opinion polling

(Full results at www.thecommonwealthconversation.org)

• The Commonwealth popular in developing countries but underrated in richer countries
  
  People polled in developing countries were twice as likely to think the Commonwealth was important compared to developed countries. Only a third of Australians or Canadians would be sorry if their country left the Commonwealth, compared to two-thirds of Indians and Malaysians.
  
• Levels of knowledge about the Commonwealth are low
  
  Only a third of people polled could name an activity carried out by the Commonwealth and only half knew the Queen was the head of the association

Quotes on the Commonwealth

"Our polls show that not enough people know much about the Commonwealth or have reason to love it. The Commonwealth Conversation is a rare and important opportunity for people to shape the future of their association." - Dr Danny Sriskandarajah, Director of the RCS

"There are two billion people out there who are members of the Commonwealth family and I don't think we have done a good enough job talking to them about the future of the Commonwealth. I welcome not just the substance of the Conversation but the process as well." - David Miliband MP, UK Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs

Media contact:

Esther Au Yong     
Director of Communications
British High Commission Singapore
Tel.: 6424 4271
Mobile: 9739 4503
esther.auyong@fco.gov.uk

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