September 1966 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference

16th Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference
Host country United Kingdom
Dates6–15 September 1966
CitiesLondon
Participants22
ChairHarold Wilson
(Prime Minister)
FollowsJanuary 1966
Precedes1969
Key points
Rhodesia, disarmament

The September 1966 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference was the 16th Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in the United Kingdom and was hosted by British Prime Minister Harold Wilson.

The conference was dominated by the rebellion of the British colony of Rhodesia, under the white minority rule of Ian Smith. Facing the possible collapse of the Commonwealth, with African states threatening to leave the association if no action was taken against Rhodesia, Britain agreed to a policy of no independence before majority rule (NIBMAR). In case Rhodesia did not comply, Britain declared it would participate in 'a resolution providing for effective and selective mandatory economic sanctions against Rhodesia' at the United Nations.[1]

The Commonwealth also issued a statement calling for nuclear disarmament and denouncing nuclear weapons testing by France and China.[2]

Participants

The following nations were represented:[3]

Nation Name Position
United Kingdom Harold Wilson (Chairman) Prime Minister
Australia Harold Holt Prime Minister
Canada Lester Pearson Prime Minister
Ceylon A. F. Wijemanne Minister of Justice
Cyprus Makarios III President
The Gambia Sir Dawda Jawara Prime Minister
Guyana Forbes Burnham Prime Minister
India Swaran Singh Minister of External Affairs
Jamaica Donald Sangster Acting Prime Minister
Kenya Joseph Murumbi Vice-President
Malawi Hastings Banda President
Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman Prime Minister
Malta Giorgio Borġ Olivier Prime Minister
New Zealand Keith Holyoake Prime Minister
Nigeria Babafemi Ogundipe High Commissioner
Pakistan Sharifuddin Pirzada Minister for Foreign Affairs
Sierra Leone Sir Albert Margai Prime Minister
Singapore Lee Kuan Yew Prime Minister
Trinidad and Tobago Patrick Solomon Minister of Foreign Affairs
Uganda Milton Obote Prime Minister
Zambia Simon Kapwepwe Minister of Foreign Affairs

References

  1. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 15 December 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 15 December 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ↑ "MEETING OF COMMONWEALTH PRIME MINISTERS, SEPTEMBER 1966 - FINAL COMMUNIQUE", Commonwealth Library, retrieved 7 June 2025