Thank you for your letter dated 15 November 2004 inviting CHRI to write a short submission on the FCO's Human Rights Report 2004. I am writing with regards to Section 4.5 of the report on the Commonwealth.

  CHRI is pleased to see that its comments on the FCO's Annual Report on Human Rights 2003 have been taken into consideration. Section 4.5 of the 2004 report provides a good overview of the scope of the UK's work with the Commonwealth and the role of the Commonwealth in promoting human rights, as well as the mechanisms it uses to do so.

  CHRI would like to thank the UK government for funding the study conducted by the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit into ways of strengthening the human rights capacity of CMAG and looks forward to hearing the outcome of future meetings. CHRI welcomes the UK's recognition of youth activities in the Commonwealth and their importance. CHRI also welcomes the importance the UK Government places on Commonwealth civil society in promoting human rights. CHRI hopes that the UK Government will continue to build civil society's capacity to use the Commonwealth as a platform to advocate for change and that the Government will also call for greater space for civil society participation within the official Commonwealth. By this CHRI means, in particular, improving opportunities for civil society to interact with ministerial delegations at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.

  CHRI trusts that the 2005 report will build on this progress and include an even stronger section on human rights in the Commonwealth.

Ellen Pugh

London Liaison Officer

Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative

10 December 2004