The Commonwealth of Nations was established in 1931 by the Statute of Westminster, at the initiative of the former dominions of the British Empire desiring more self-government and autonomy from Great Britain. Though the member nations accept the British monarch as the symbolic head of the Commonwealth, they maintain full control over their own domestic and foreign affairs. There is no written charter of the Commonwealth of Nations. A shared history, traditional procedures, and language are the basis of the structure and function of the Commonwealth of Nations. The Head Quarter of Commonwealth of Nations is situated at London, United Kingdom (Secretariat). The objective of the Commonwealth is to promote democracy, human rights, sustainable economic and social development among member countries and beyond. It also aims to provide a platform for global consensus building and assistance for sustainable development. The Commonwealth is an Association of 53 nations. The founding members of the Commonwealth were Great Britain, Irish Free State, Canada, Newfoundland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. With the London Declaration of 1949, the British Crown has got acceptance as a symbol of association by the member states rather than recognition as head of state. Presently there are 16 member nations (including Australia, Canada and New Zealand) who recognize the British Crown as head of State and the rest are republics or monarchies. The member nations contribute to the running budget of the Commonwealth according to their income and population. The member nations are not bound to follow the Commonwealth policies
