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Commonwealth Secretariat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Commonwealth Secretariat is the central body of the Commonwealth of Nations, which implements the decisions taken by the association's 53 member governments and organises meetings of Commonwealth ministers. It is headed by a Secretary-General, chosen by the Heads of Government for terms of five years. The current Secretary-General (since 1999) is former New Zealand foreign minister Rt.Hon. Don McKinnon.
The Secretariat was established by Heads of Government in 1965, taking over many of the functions of the United Kingdom Government's Commonwealth Relations Office. It is located at Marlborough House in London, a former royal palace which was given by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Head of the Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth Secretariat enjoys diplomatic immunity in the United Kingdom where it is located but has been the subject of a number of lawsuits challenging this, including Mohsin v Commonwealth Secretariat, and in 2005, Sumukan Limited v Commonwealth Secretariat.