1965 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference

Last updated

14th Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference
Host countryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Dates1725 June 1965
Cities London
Participants21
Chair Harold Wilson
(Prime Minister)
Follows 1964
Precedes January 1966
Key points
Commonwealth peace initiative to Vietnam, race relations, Rhodesia, South Africa, Cyprus, Commonwealth Secretariat

The 1965 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference was the 14th Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in the United Kingdom in June 1965, and was hosted by that country's Prime Minister, Harold Wilson.

Contents

The Conference approved Prime Minister Wilson's proposal for a Commonwealth peace mission to Vietnam; Wilson subsequently shelved the initiative. The body also approved the creation of the Commonwealth Secretariat proposed at the previous summit and appoints Canadian Arnold Smith as the first Commonwealth Secretary-General. The meeting also discussed the crisis in Rhodesia, relations with South Africa and Portuguese colonies in Africa, and opposition by Asian and African Commonwealth countries to British, Australian and New Zealand's support for American intervention in the Vietnam War. The Commonwealth reaffirmed its declaration that all Commonwealth states should work for societies based on racial equality. [1]

Participants

NationNamePortfolio
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom Harold Wilson Prime Minister (Chairman)
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia Robert Menzies Prime Minister
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Lester Pearson Prime Minister
Flag of Ceylon.svg  Ceylon A. F. Wijemanne Justice Minister
Flag of Cyprus (1960-2006).svg  Cyprus Spyros Kyprianou Foreign Minister
Flag of The Gambia.svg  The Gambia Dawda Jawara Prime Minister
Ghana flag 1964.svg  Ghana Kwame Nkrumah President
Flag of India.svg  India Lal Bahadur Shastri Prime Minister
Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica Donald Sangster Acting Prime Minister
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya Joseph Murumbi Foreign Minister
Flag of Malawi.svg  Malawi Hastings Banda Prime Minister
Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman Prime Minister
Flag of Malta.svg  Malta Giorgio Borġ Olivier Prime Minister
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand Keith Holyoake Prime Minister
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Prime Minister
Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan Ayub Khan President
Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone Albert Margai Prime Minister
Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania Julius Nyerere President
Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Trinidad and Tobago Eric Williams Prime Minister
Flag of Uganda.svg  Uganda Milton Obote Prime Minister
Flag of Zambia (1964-1996).svg  Zambia Kenneth Kaunda President

Related Research Articles

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is a biennial summit meeting of the governmental leaders from all Commonwealth nations. Despite the name, the head of state may be present in the meeting instead of the head of government, especially among semi-presidential states. Every two years the meeting is held in a different member state and is chaired by that nation's respective prime minister or president, who becomes the Commonwealth Chair-in-Office until the next meeting. Queen Elizabeth II, who was the Head of the Commonwealth, attended every CHOGM beginning with Ottawa in 1973 until Perth in 2011, although her formal participation only began in 1997. She was represented by the Prince of Wales at the 2013 meeting as the 87-year-old monarch was curtailing long-distance travel. The Queen attended the 2015 summit in Malta and the 2018 summit in London, but was represented again by the Prince of Wales at the 2022 meeting in Rwanda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence</span> 1965 statement on independence from the UK

Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) was a statement adopted by the Cabinet of Rhodesia on 11 November 1965, announcing that Southern Rhodesia or simply Rhodesia, a British territory in southern Africa that had governed itself since 1923, now regarded itself as an independent sovereign state. The culmination of a protracted dispute between the British and Rhodesian governments regarding the terms under which the latter could become fully independent, it was the first unilateral break from the United Kingdom by one of its colonies since the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776. The UK, the Commonwealth and the United Nations all deemed Rhodesia's UDI illegal, and economic sanctions, the first in the UN's history, were imposed on the breakaway colony. Amid near-complete international isolation, Rhodesia continued as an unrecognised state with the assistance of South Africa and Portugal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imperial War Cabinet</span>

The Imperial War Cabinet (IWC) was the British Empire's wartime coordinating body. It met over three sessions, the first from 20 March to 2 May 1917, the second from 11 June to late July 1918, and the third from 20 or 25 November 1918 to early January 1919. Consisting of representatives from Canada, Australia, India, the Dominion of Newfoundland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the Cabinet considered many aspects of waging the First World War. It led to the United Kingdom's Dominions being considered more equal to Great Britain and Ireland. Held concurrently with the cabinet were the Imperial War Conferences of 1917 and 1918.

The Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM) was a British organisation that was at the centre of the international movement opposing the South African apartheid system and supporting South Africa's non-White population who were persecuted by the policies of apartheid. The AAM changed its name to ACTSA: Action for Southern Africa in 1994, when South Africa achieved majority rule through free and fair elections, in which all races could vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australia–United States relations</span> Bilateral relations

Australia and the United States are close allies, maintaining a robust relationship underpinned by shared democratic values, common interests, and cultural affinities. Economic, academic, and people-to-people ties are vibrant and strong. At the governmental level, relations between Australia and the United States are formalized by the ANZUS security agreement, the AUKUS security partnership and the Australia–United States Free Trade Agreement. They were formally allied together in both World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the War on Terror, although they had disagreements at the Paris Peace Conference. Australia is a Major non-NATO ally of the United States.

The 1971 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, officially known as the I Commonwealth Heads Meeting, and commonly known as Singapore 1971, was the first Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held from 14 to 22 January 1971 in Singapore, and was hosted by that country's Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew.

During the 1960s, many independence movements emerged in countries near Rhodesia, which had significant effects on political affairs and social conditions within Rhodesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zimbabwe and the Commonwealth of Nations</span> History of Zimbabwes relations with the Commonwealth of Nations

Zimbabwe and the Commonwealth of Nations have had a controversial and stormy diplomatic relationship. Zimbabwe is a former member of the Commonwealth, having withdrawn in 2003, and the issue of Zimbabwe has repeatedly taken centre stage in the Commonwealth, both since Zimbabwe's independence and as part of the British Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commonwealth of Nations</span> Political association of mostly former British Empire territories

The Commonwealth of Nations, often simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is an international association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire from which it developed. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Commonwealth Secretariat, which focuses on intergovernmental aspects, and the Commonwealth Foundation, which focuses on non-governmental relations among member states. Numerous organisations are associated with and operate within the Commonwealth.

The 1973 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, officially known as the II Commonwealth Heads Meeting, and commonly known as Ottawa 1973, was the second Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held from 2 to 10 August 1973 in Ottawa, and hosted by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting</span>

The 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, commonly known as CHOGM 2011, was the 22nd Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. Held in Perth, Western Australia, between 28 and 30 October 2011 and hosted by the Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

The 1975 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, officially known as the III Commonwealth Heads Meeting, and commonly known as Kingston 1975, was the third Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held from 29 April to 6 May 1975 in Kingston, Jamaica, and was hosted by that country's Prime Minister, Michael Manley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhodesian mission in Lisbon</span> Diplomatic mission (1965–1975)

The Rhodesian mission in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, operated from September 1965 to May 1975. It was a diplomatic mission representing Rhodesia, initially as a self-governing colony of Britain and, after the Unilateral Declaration of Independence in November 1965, as an unrecognised state. Rhodesia informed Britain of its intent to open a Lisbon mission headed by an accredited representative, independent from the British Embassy in the city, in June 1965. Whitehall refused to endorse the idea but Rhodesia continued nonetheless, and later that month appointed Harry Reedman to head the mission. The British government attempted unsuccessfully to block this unilateral act—Rhodesia's first—for some months afterwards.

The 1961 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference was the 11th Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in the United Kingdom in March 1961, and was hosted by that country's Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan.

The 1969 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference was the 17th Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in the United Kingdom in January 1969, and was hosted by that country's Prime Minister, Harold Wilson.

The 1957 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference was the ninth Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in the United Kingdom in June 1957, and was hosted by that country's Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1960 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference</span>

The 1960 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference was the tenth Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in the United Kingdom in May 1960, and was hosted by that country's Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan.

The 1956 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference was the eighth Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in the United Kingdom in June 1956, and was hosted by that country's Prime Minister, Sir Anthony Eden.

The 1964 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference was the 13th Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in the United Kingdom in July 1964, and was hosted by the UK's Prime Minister, Sir Alec Douglas-Home.

The September 1966 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference was the 16th Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in the United Kingdom and was hosted by that country's Prime Minister, Harold Wilson.

References

  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 17 April 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)