Sri Lanka puts Commonwealth funding at risk

 Friday, 11 October 2013 

The conduct of the Sri Lankan government and the complacency adopted by the officials heading the Commonwealth has have now put funding received by the Commonwealth at risk.

Britain, which is the key funder of the commonwealth, has pulled funds over concerns about its leadership and performance.
The Commonwealth continues to face mounting criticism over the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka.

The Daily Telegraph has reported that with 52 of the organisation’s 53 members prepared to defy human rights protests by gathering in Sri Lanka, concerns over its direction have seen major donors scale back contributions to its budget.
Whitehall has imposed cuts of £3 million over two years from its grant to the Commonwealth Secretariat.
Stephen Harper, the Canadian prime minister, provoked fears of a funding crisis this week by warning that Ottawa was looking at the scale of its own “financing”.

Canada is boycotting the November CHOGM summit over its concerns about the host’s human rights record and continuing extra-judicial killings.

David Cameron faces criticism from an influential group of MPs over his decision to attend the meeting.

Several MPs on the foreign affairs select committee want to use a human rights report to be published next week to express “regret” at the Prime Minister’s decision to attend.

Cameron has pledged to raise human rights abuses with Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Sri Lankan president, who has dismissed widespread international concern about mass violations during and after Sri Lanka’s civil war against Tamil separatists.

Divisions over the Commonwealth’s democratic standards are likely to dominate the summit.

Canada provides £10 million to the Commonwealth every year, the second largest contribution after Britain’s £16 million.