ABSTRACT
The Secretariat should enhance its capacity to provide advice, training and other forms of technical assistance to governments in promoting the Commonwealth’s fundamental political values, including:
• assistance in creating and building the capacity of requisite institutions; • assistance in constitutional and legal matters, including selecting models and initiating
programmes of democratisation; • assistance in the electoral field, including the establishment or strengthening of
independent electoral machinery, civic and voter education, the preparation of Codes of Conduct, and assistance with voter registration;
• observation of elections, including by-elections or local elections where appropriate, at the request of the member governments concerned;
• strengthening the rule of law and promoting the independence of the judiciary through the promotion of exchanges among, and training of, the judiciary;
• support for good government, particularly in the area of public service reform; and other activities, in collaboration with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and other bodies, to strengthen the democratic culture and effective parliamentary practices.
