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Home > Human Rights > Harare Commonwealth Declaration, 1991
Harare, 20 October 1991
The Harare Declaration is the Commonwealths second basic statement of beliefs. It was issued by Commonwealth Heads of Government at their meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe, in 1991 - twenty years after the Declaration of Commonwealth Principles. The Harare Declaration reinforces the earlier declaration of principles, updates them where necessary, and establishes a core set of values to take the Commonwealth into the 21st century and beyond. It also gives the headlines of a programme of action, placing priority on areas where the Commonwealth is particularly well placed to operate - such as in strengthening democracy, human rights and the rights of women.
we believe that international peace and order, global economic development and the rule of international law are essential to the security and prosperity of mankind we believe in the liberty of the individual under the law, in equal rights for all citizens regardless of gender, race, colour, creed or political belief, and in the individual's inalienable right to participate by means of free and democratic political processes in framing the society in which he or she lives we recognise racial prejudice and intolerance as a dangerous sickness and a threat to healthy development, and racial discrimination as an unmitigated evil we oppose all forms of racial oppression, and we are committed to the principles of human dignity and equality we recognise the importance and urgency of economic and social development to satisfy the basic needs and aspirations of the vast majority of the peoples of the world, and seek the progressive removal of the wide disparities in living standards amongst our members |
the protection and promotion of the fundamental political values of the Commonwealth democracy, democratic processes and institutions which reflect national circumstances, the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary, just and honest government fundamental human rights, including equal rights and opportunities for all citizens regardless of race, colour, creed or political belief equality for women, so that they may exercise their full and equal rights provision of universal access to education for the population of our countries continuing action to bring about the end of apartheid and the establishment of a free, democratic, non-racial and prosperous South Africa the promotion of sustainable development and the alleviation of poverty in the countries of the Commonwealth through:
effective and increasing programmes of bilateral and multilateral co-operation aimed at raising living standards the protection of the environment through respect for the principles of sustainable development which we enunciated at Langkawi action to combat drug trafficking and abuse and communicable diseases help for small Commonwealth states in tackling their particular economic and security problems support of the United Nations and other international institutions in the world's search for peace, disarmament and effective arms control; and in the promotion of international consensus on major global political, economic and social issues |