Commonwealth Realm

The 23rd Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM; /ˈtʃɒɡ(ə)m/) was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from 15 to 17 November 2013.[2] Commonwealth leaders agreed on Sri Lanka as the 2013 host for the meeting when they met in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, in 2009. Sri Lanka, which was originally slated to host the summit in 2011, was accused of committing atrocities during the Sri Lankan civil war and the summit was instead held in Perth, Australia; Colombo was given the 2013 summit instead.[3][4] The leaders of Canada, India, and Mauritius boycotted the summit, citing alleged human rights violations by Sri Lanka against its Tamil minority. Protests were also banned during the summit.[5] President Mahinda Rajapaksa summarised the summit's events as: "Issues covered in the communique include development, political values, global threats, challenges and Commonwealth cooperation."[6] This was the first time in 40 years that the Head of the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth II, was not present at the CHOGM.

Member countries
Fifty-three countries are members of The Commonwealth. Our countries span Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific and are diverse – they are amongst the world’s largest, smallest, richest and poorest countries. Thirty-two of our members are classified as small states – countries with a population size of 1.5million people or less and larger member states that share similar characteristics with them.
All members subscribe to The Commonwealth’s values and principles outlined in The Commonwealth Charter.
Leaders of member countries shape Commonwealth policies and priorities. Every two years, they meet to discuss issues affecting the Commonwealth and the wider world at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
All members have an equal say – regardless of size or economic stature. This ensures even the smallest member countries have a voice in shaping The Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth of Nations, or simply the Commonwealth,