In brief: the Commonwealth Charter

On 11 March 2013 in London the Queen signed the Commonwealth Charter. However, while the UK Government has welcomed it, there has been considerable criticism of the Charter on the grounds that it is not legally binding and cannot be effectively enforced. In September 2012 three Commonwealth Nobel Laureates, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nadine Gordimer and Wole Soyinka had said that a weak and ineffective Charter should not be endorsed. Recent media coverage of the new Commonwealth Charter has focused on its potential to strengthen Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) rights. The Commonwealth has received much negative publicity in recent years for being an association many of whose member states systematically discriminate against and harass LGBT citizens. The majority response amongst LGBT rights campaigners has been one of disappointment with the Charter. There has been considerable focus on the allegedly evasive nature of the language used in the Charter, in which LGBT rights are not explicitly referred to.