It does work in the Commonwealth. Moreover, said the Secretary-General, there is no other grouping, apart from the UN, where leaders from different parts of the world have really close relationships that benefit their individual countries. From the Pacific to the Indian Ocean and Africa, the Mediterranean to the Caribbean, the Commonwealth brings together groups that would normally have no such linkages. This makes the Commonwealth a truly global organisation. While Mr McKinnon concedes that some may consider the Commonwealth a bit old fashioned, he rejects British media criticism that it is a mere talking shop.
War only begins when diplomacy fails.
No other international organisation has taken such a step. The CMAG meeting in early May was an example of where ministers realised that dealing with nations that have been technically 'CMAG-ed' was one thing, but dealing with nations which hadn't crossed the line but were the subject of critical comment by many other Commonwealth members could also be addressed, but was not in the same category. Mr McKinnon was referring to the deep concerns Commonwealth ministers expressed over events in Zimbabwe. The ministers asked the Secretary General to convey those concerns during his visit to Zimbabwe in mid-May, and called for free and fair elections to take place within the timeframe prescribed by the Zimbabwe Constitution. Those messages about violence and voter intimidation were put forcefully to President Mugabe, with the weight of the eight CMAG Foreign Ministers behind them.