Is Jamaica Still In The Commonwealth?

Is Jamaica Still In The Commonwealth? | The Prince and Princess of Wales along with Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness and His Wife and Parlimentarian Juliet Holness

by Sheree-Anita Shearer | Associate Writer

Jamaica has been a part of the organisation since it gained Independence in 1962 and is classified as a Commonwealth country, which is an independent country with the monarch of Britain as its head of state. A governor-general is elected by the ruling monarch of the United Kingdom as his representative in the country.

Though there are 56 countries in the Commonwealth only 14 are Commonwealth countries or realms, the others are member states. This means although they are part of the Commonwealth, the monarch of Britain is not their head of state, they are each a republic.

What does Commonwealth stand for?

The Commonwealth is a term coined by England for a political community formed to foster the common good. This dates back to the 15th century.

When was the Commonwealth founded?

Founded in 1926, the Commonwealth, or, what was known then as the British Commonwealth had the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Irish Free State (now Ireland), and Newfoundland which is now a province in Canada. This organisation came to be from the Balfour Declaration of the Imperial Conference.

As more colonies got varying forms of freedom, they joined the Commonwealth as well.

Countries in the Commonwealth

Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
Bahamas
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belize
Botswana
Brunei Darussalam
Cameroon
Canada
Cyprus
Dominica
eSwatini
Fiji
The Gambia
Ghana
Grenada
Guyana
Jamaica
India
Jamaica
Kenya
Kiribati
Lesotho
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Nauru
New Zealand
Nigeria
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Rwanda
Saint Lucia
Samoa
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Sri Lanka
St Kitts and Nevis
St Vincent and The Grenadines
Tanzania
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu
Uganda
United Kingdom
Vanuatu

What does it mean to be in the Commonwealth?

Today the Commonwealth is an association of 56 countries working towards shared goals. Being part of the commonwealth gives a country access to a better relationship with all the organisation's member states. Jamaica has benefitted from this over the years.

Commonwealth citizens also have access to a Commonwealth passport which gives visa-free access to many countries where there may be visa requirements for your native country.

Most of these countries were initially British colonies before they gained independence, however, there are a few countries with no colonial ties to Britain who had decided to join the organisation.

Most recently, Gabon and Togo joined the commonwealth in 2022. Before them, Rwanda and Mozambique joined the Commonwealth as well, never having been colonised by Britain.

When was the Commonwealth formed?

The British Commonwealth of Nations was formed in 1926 between the United Kingdom and the Dominions (Australia, Canada, India, the Irish Free State, Newfoundland, New Zealand and South Africa).

The agreement was that Britain no longer ruled over them and they were all equal members of the British Empire who had allegiances to the monarch of Britain.

What are the advantages of being a Commonwealth country?

The community of independent and sovereign states benefit from the commonwealth as they all work towards their common goals sharing resources of each country and the resources of the over 80 commonwealth organisations.

When did Jamaica stop being a Commonwealth?

Jamaica is still a part of the Commonwealth, although it has announced its intentions to become a republic and dissolved its ties to the British Empire, including being a part of the Commonwealth.

Can republic countries be in the Commonwealth?

Yes, when India decided to become a republic it retained its position as a member of the Commonwealth. Many other countries have done the same since then, including most recently Barbados. Countries to have left the commonwealth after becoming a republic are Zimbabwe and Ireland.

The Commonwealth is made up of:

• 14 Commonwealth countries
• 5 member countries with their monarch
• 36 Republic countries

The countries of Australia, Canada and New Zealand are considered Dominion countries. They are allowed to be semi-autonomous countries and make their own rules but are still subject to the British Empire.

Is Jamaica part of the Commonwealth 2022?

As of 2022, Jamaica is still one of the Commonwealth countries with King Charles III as its head of state. However, the country is hoping to dissolve their ties to the Commonwealth and all other British Empire organisations by 2025.

Can a country leave the Commonwealth?

Being a member of the Commonwealth is completely voluntary and countries have exercised their right to be (or not be) a part of the organisation. Most countries remain a member even after becoming a republic. But a few have left.

Between 1961 and 1994, South Africa withdrew from the organisation.

Zimbabwe withdrew in 2003. It has since reapplied but no decision has been made so far.
The Maldives withdrew from the Commonwealth in 2016 but were reinstated in 2020.

Commonwealth Writers’ Prize

The Commonwealth Writers’ Prize has been won by four Jamaican women over the years.

1987 - Olive Senior (Best Book)
1989 - Erna Brodber
1993 - Alecia McKenzie
1994 - Vanessa Spence

The Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games or The Friendly Games have been held every four years since 1930 between Commonwealth members across the world. The first staging was held in Canada and has since then been had in many countries in the Commonwealth including Australia, England, Scotland and New Zealand.

The Commonwealth Games have been hosted by Jamaica once in 1966. It was the first time the games were held outside the Dominion countries.

Jamaica has competed in 18 Commonwealth games and has amassed nearly 200 goals over the years. The last staging of the Commonwealth Games, held in England is slated to be Jamaica’s final appearance at the games.

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References & Sources For Is Jamaica Still In The Commonwealth?

1. Commonwealth Games (2022) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_Games (Accessed: October 27, 2022).
2. Jamaica (no date) Commonwealth. Available at: https://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries/jamaica (Accessed: October 27, 2022).
3. Jamaica at the Commonwealth Games (2022) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaica_at_the_Commonwealth_Games (Accessed: October 27, 2022).
4. Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations (2022) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member_states_of_the_Commonwealth_of_Nations#Former_members (Accessed: October 27, 2022).
5. Our history (1970) Commonwealth. Available at: https://thecommonwealth.org/history (Accessed: October 27, 2022).
6. Press, A. (2022) Jamaica to seek independence from Commonwealth, Daily Sabah. Daily Sabah. Available at: https://www.dailysabah.com/world/americas/jamaica-to-seek-independence-from-commonwealth (Accessed: October 27, 2022).

Is Jamaica Still In The Commonwealth? | October 26, 2022

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