In addition to this new rule , the former rules were consolidated into a single document . They had been prepared for the High Level Appraisal Group set up at the 1989 CHOGM , but not publicly announced until 1997 . These requirements , which remain the same today , are that members must : On the advice of Secretary-General Don McKinnon , the 2005 CHOGM , held in Valletta , Malta , decided to re-examine the Edinburgh criteria . The Committee on Commonwealth Membership reported at the 2007 CHOGM , held in Kampala , Uganda . According to Don McKinnon , the members of the Commonwealth decided in principle to expand the membership of the organisation to include countries without linkages to the Commonwealth , but Eduardo del Buey stated that it would still take some time until the criteria are reformed . Outstanding applications as of the 2007 meeting included former Belgian colony Rwanda ( application submitted in 2003 and approved in 2009 ) , the former French colonies of Algeria and Madagascar , and the former British colony of Yemen and condominium of Sudan
1989 CHOGM
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 1989
Commonwealth of Nations membership criteria