International records / OpenAlex research

Canada and the Creation of the Commonwealth Secretariat, 1965

THE CREATION OF THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT IN 1965 was the most important landmark in the evolution of the contemporary Commonwealth. It is worth considering why it happened when it did and how Canada contributed.All previous proposals for a central secretariat had come up against Whitehall's tenacious guarding of its powers and Canadian/South African fears about any attenuation of dominion autonomy. Australian proposals in 1907, 1924, 1932, and 1944 had come to nothing, as had New Zealand ideas about a central council in 1909 and 1956.(f.1) By 1964 the climate had changed. The reason must b…