COMMONWEALTH leaders meeting today in Trinidad and Tobago will decided on whether or not to allow Rwanda join the 53-members body.

Last October (last month) Rwandan President Paul Kagame formerly applied to the Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma on the decision by the Great Lakes to join the body that currently represents a quarter of the world’s countries and a third of its population.

Back in 2007 the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kampala, Uganda, reviewed recommendations of the Committee on Commonwealth Membership and agreed a set of core criteria for membership of the organization as well as a four-step process for dealing with expressions of interest by aspiring members.

That process comprised an informal assessment undertaken by the secretary-general, consultation by the secretary-general with member states, an invitation to the interested country to make a formal application and a formal application presenting evidence of the functioning of democratic processes and popular support in that country for joining the Commonwealth.

In January 2008, Rwanda conveyed its interest in joining the Commonwealth. Since then Commonwealth Secretariat and Republic of Rwanda have engaged in a series of consultations which included four secretariat missions to Kigali and a meeting between the Secretary-General and President Kagame in London.

In June this year, Sharma wrote to heads conveying his informal assessment of Rwanda’s expression of interest to join the Commonwealth. He requested the views from heads of state on Rwanda’s aspiration for membership.

In August Sharma indicated strong support among member states for Rwanda to bee invited to make a formal application for Commonwealth membership. Subsequently, Sharma wrote to President Kagame inviting him to submit such an application.

“In October 2009 the Secretary-General received a letter from President Kagame transmitting Rwanda’s formal application for Commonwealth membership which included a joint resolution by the Rwanda Legislature and a memorandum in support of Rwanda’s application for Commonwealth membership.

This has since been transmitted to heads,” informed the Commonwealth Secretariat. “This application for membership by the Government of Rwanda will be placed before heads for consideration at the forthcoming CHOGM 2009 in Trinidad and Tobago.”