The Commonwealth Foundation is an intergovernmental body working to help civil society organisations promote democracy, development and cultural understanding in Commonwealth countries. The Foundation creates opportunities for dialogues between these organisations and their governments to highlight issues affecting the people of the Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth Foundation was established by Commonwealth governments in 1965 and is guided by the principles, values and priorities of the Commonwealth. Membership of the Foundation is open to all members of the Commonwealth and currently stands at 46 states, plus one associate member.

Sustainable development is about ensuring a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come. Its widely-used international definition is ‘development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’.

To achieve this objective, the Commonwealth Foundation’s Sustainable Development Programme supports civil society-led efforts to improve the lives of citizens across the Commonwealth. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) form the logical framework and programming and grant making are targeted in three MDG sectors: health - focusing on HIV and AIDS; education - targeting gender equality in access to education; climate change and disaster risk mitigation – including sustainable human settlements.

The Commonwealth Foundation works closely with the Commonwealth Secretariat and a diverse network of civil society partners including Commonwealth Professional Bodies and Commonwealth Associations (CAs). The approach includes both civil society actions at the grassroots as well as advocacy efforts aimed at governments. Our work highlights that business as usual is not an option and there is an urgent need to equip all sectors of society with awareness, information and other resources to reduce and adapt to climate change, and to manage natural resources more sustainably.

Commonwealth Foundation
Marlborough House
Pall Mall
London, SW1Y 5HY

Tel:     +44 (0) 207 930 3783
Fax:     +44 (0) 207 839 8157

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Web:   www.commonwealthfoundation.com