Commonwealth unites against terror

Zambian President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa (right) talks with Prime Minister of the Bahamas Hubert Ingraham

COOLUM, Australia (CNN) -- Commonwealth leaders have agreed to expel any member countries that aid or support terrorism, and provide legal and financial help to struggling nations meet their commitments in this area.

But discussion and action on the other major issue for this years meeting -- the erosion of democracy in Zimbabwe -- was deferred to Sunday when it will be tackled by the leaders at close quarters during their private retreat sessions.

The anti-terrorism action plan was adopted at the end of the first full day of the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting being held in the Australian resort town of Coolum.

While the delegates and leaders from the 51 nations present at Coolum all endorsed the action plan, no decisions were made on how the plan would be implemented and monitored.

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The heads of government said that any member state that aided, supported, instigated, financed or harbored terrorists, or permitted such activities within its jurisdiction, violated the fundamental values of the Commonwealth and should have no place in it.

The only nation currently suspended from the Commonwealth is Pakistan, which was barred after General Pervez Musharraf installed himself as president via a military coup.

CHOGM spokesman Joel Kibazo told media Saturday that the leaders discussed a possible return of Pakistan to the Commonwealth but all agreed it should remain suspended.

However, he said the leaders had noted the developments and progress being made by Musharraf towards the restoration of democracy in Pakistan.

Apart from assisting Commonwealth member countries to develop and put in place suitable anti-terrorism legislation, the action plans also calls for members to co-operate more fully on global criminal issues, particularly regarding the collection of evidence.

The action plan also urges governments to crack down harder on money-laundering activities which can be used to finance acts of terror.

This reinforces the Commonwealth's statement in October last year in which members committed themselves to preventing the use and abuse of their financial systems for money-laundering by co-operating with international efforts to rein in this practice.

However, six Commonwealth nations remain on an international blacklist of countries which are considered chief offenders in money-laundering, including the tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru, which currently has global sanctions in place against it.

The issue of terrorism figured strongly in the opening addresses of CHOGM, with the key speakers all referring to the Commonwealth's unique abilities to co-operate internationally in the battle against it.

Queen highlights diversity

Speaking at the CHOGM opening ceremony Saturday morning, the head of the Commonwealth, Britains Queen Elizabeth II, said the Commonwealth's diversity was its key strength.

She said she believed it was this diversity which also made the Commonwealth increasingly relevant.

The events of September 11 have reminded us all of the need to build bridges between different cultures based on greater knowledge and understanding of our differences, she said.

The chairman of this year's conference, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, also touched on this theme.

The terrible events of September last year have driven home to the entire world the importance of reaching out to one another, of respecting difference in race and religion and ethnic background, Howard said.

And no organization in the world does that better than the Commonwealth. It reinforces the relevance of the Commonwealth in the modern world when you examine those strengths, he said.