Common wealth nations or British Commonwealth is an intergovernmental organisation of 52 member states that are mostly former territories of the British Empire.
The Commonwealth operates by intergovernmental consensus of the member states, organised through the Commonwealth Secretariat and non-governmental organisations, organised through the Commonwealth Foundation.
Queen Elizabeth II who is the Head of the Commonwealth and also the monarch of 16 members of the Commonwealth, known as Commonwealth realms.
Member states have no legal obligation to one another.
Instead, they are united by language, history, culture and their shared values of democracy, free speech, human rights, and the rule of law.
The Commonwealth of Nations is represented in the United Nations General Assembly by the secretariat as an observer.
In addition, some members treat resident citizens of other Commonwealth countries preferentially to citizens of non-Commonwealth countries.
Britain and several others, mostly in the Caribbean, grant the right to vote to Commonwealth citizens who reside in those countries.
In non-Commonwealth countries in which their own country is not represented, Commonwealth citizens may seek consular assistance at the British embassy.
The first member to be admitted without having any constitutional link to the British Empire or a Commonwealth member was Mozambique
In 2009, Rwanda became the second member admitted not to have any such constitutional links.
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