The Commonwealth needs urgent reform to avoid slipping into irrelevance, a major report to Prime Minister Julia Gillard and her commonwealth counterparts has warned.
The final report of the so-called Eminent Persons Group (EPG) - obtained by AAP - will be presented to Ms Gillard and the leaders of 53 other nations at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth next week.
Prepared by ten respected commonwealth thinkers - including retired Australian High Court Justice Michael Kirby - the report makes 106 recommendations aimed at renewing the association that brings together mainly former British colonies.
The report warns bluntly that the Commonwealth is in danger of losing its relevance.
"Now is the time for the Perth CHOGM to authorise the urgent reform this report recommends and to mandate a concrete implementation plan," it reads.
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"Reform has never been more necessary.
"There may not be another chance to renew, reinvigorate and revitalise the Commonwealth to make it relevant to its times and people in the future."
The 14 core recommendations include establishing a Charter of the Commonwealth and appointing a Commissioner for Democracy, the Rule of Law and Human Rights.
The Commonwealth should also develop better guidelines on when it should take action against member states that violate the association's core values, including human rights.
"There is a growing perception that the Commonwealth has become indifferent because it fails to stand up for the values that it has declared as fundamental to its existence," the report says.
"These values have been violated by some member countries without an appropriate Commonwealth response except in the event of the unconstitutional overthrow of a government.
"The Commonwealth has to focus fresh attention on violations of human, political and civil rights if it is to continue to command attention on behalf of its member states and retain the respect of its own people."
The report calls on Commonwealth nations to speak with greater unity and provide better leadership on climate change, global pandemics and international development.
Member countries must also commit to boosting the Commonwealth Secretariat's funding.
"We are aware that applying these recommendations will not be easy," the report reads.
"However, we are convinced that their time has come and there is now a need for urgency in their implementation."
The EPG met five times between mid-2010 and mid-2011 and drew on more than 300 submissions from Commonwealth organisations, governments and individuals from across the globe for its report.
