Suspension from the Commonwealth of Nations
Suspension from the Commonwealth of Nations is the most serious punishment that can be administered to members of the Commonwealth. In the absence of any mechanism by which to expel countries that breach its rules, the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) may choose to suspend members from the 'Councils of the Commonwealth', which amounts to the suspension of their formal membership of the organisation, although their participation in activities of the Commonwealth Family of organisations is not necessarily affected.
Four countries have been suspended from the Commonwealth since the inception of the device in 1995: Fiji, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe. Fiji and Pakistan have each been suspended twice, and Zimbabwe has withdrawn permanently from the Commonwealth, whilst Nigeria has rehabilitated entirely.
List of suspensions
| Member | Suspension began | Suspension ended |
|---|---|---|
 Nigeria |
11 November 1995[1] | 29 May 1999[2] |
 Pakistan (first time) |
18 October 1999[3] | 22 May 2004[4] |
 Fiji (first time) |
6 June 2000[5] | 20 December 2001[6] |
 Zimbabwe |
19 March 2002[6] | 7 December 2003[7] by leaving the Commonwealth |
| Fiji (second time) |
8 December 2006[8] | 26 September 2014[9] [nb 1] |
| Pakistan (second time) |
22 November 2007[12] | 22 May 2008[13] |
- ↑ The 2006 suspension applied only to membership on the Councils of the Commonwealth, a full suspension followed on 1 September 2009.[10] This suspension was subsequently extended to include exclusion from all Commonwealth meetings, sporting events and the technical assistance programme (with an exception for assistance in re-establishing democracy).[10] In March 2014 full exclusion was eased permitting Fiji to join in a number of Commonwealth activities, including the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.[11]
Footnotes
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- ↑ "Fiji", Commonwealth Network
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- ↑ Foreign & Commonwealth Office Minister welcomes Commonwealth statement on Fiji, Accessed 31 July 2014
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