The Commonwealth is often described as a 'family' of nations and peoples.
At the heart of this family are three intergovernmental organisations:
The Commonwealth is supported by a network of more than 80 accredited organisations working in specialist areas from education to urban planning.
See a full list of accredited organisations
Accreditation is a formal recognition by the Commonwealth that an organisation:
- meets the eligibility criteria
- is committed to the values and principles of the Commonwealth, as written in the Commonwealth Charter
An accredited organisation:
- has rights to and responsibilities when using the Commonwealth name and brand
- becomes a member of the Commonwealth Association
Accreditation to the Commonwealth is carried out by the Accreditation Committee, which is formed of a subset of member governments.
