1964 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 13th Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference
Host country	United Kingdom
Dates	8–15 July 1964
Cities	London
Participants	18
Chair	Sir Alec Douglas-Home (Prime Minister)
Follows	1962
Precedes	1965
Key points
Race relations, decolonisation, Southern Rhodesia, Apartheid in South Africa, Cyprus, Commonwealth Secretariat, Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation

The 1964 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference was an important meeting where leaders from many countries in the Commonwealth of Nations came together. It was the 13th time these leaders met. The meeting happened in the United Kingdom in July 1964. Sir Alec Douglas-Home, who was the Prime Minister of the UK, was the host.

During this conference, leaders talked about many big issues. They discussed countries becoming independent and how to make sure all people were treated fairly. They also talked about helping countries that were facing problems. One new idea was to create a special office called the Commonwealth Secretariat to help the Commonwealth work better.

Key Discussions at the Conference

Southern Rhodesia: A Call for Fairness

One of the main topics was Southern Rhodesia, which is now Zimbabwe. At that time, a small group of white people ruled the country, even though most people were Black. The Commonwealth leaders decided not to invite Southern Rhodesia to the meeting because it was not an independent country.

The leaders strongly disagreed with the idea of the white minority government declaring independence on its own. They wanted all groups in Southern Rhodesia to talk together. Their goal was to create a country where everyone, no matter their race, had equal rights and a say in how the country was run.

Fighting Apartheid in South Africa

The leaders also spoke out against apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid was a system of laws that kept people of different races separated and treated Black people unfairly. The Commonwealth leaders made it clear they were against this system. They believed all people should be treated equally.

Helping Countries in Conflict

The conference also discussed other important situations around the world:

• British Guiana: Leaders were worried about fighting between different groups of people in British Guiana (now Guyana).
• Cyprus: They talked about the difficult situation in Cyprus, an island nation that was facing internal conflicts.
• Malaysia and Indonesia: The leaders showed support for Malaysia. Malaysia was having a conflict with its neighbor, Indonesia. The Commonwealth wanted to help find a peaceful solution.

Creating the Commonwealth Secretariat

A big idea from this meeting was to create the Commonwealth Secretariat. This new office would help organize and support the work of the Commonwealth. It would make sure that decisions made at these meetings could be put into action. It would also help member countries work together more closely.

Who Attended the Meeting?

Many important leaders from different Commonwealth countries came to the conference. These leaders included Prime Ministers and Presidents. They came from countries like Australia, Canada, India, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, and many others. Each leader represented their country and shared their views on the important issues discussed.

The meeting was a chance for these leaders to talk face-to-face. They worked together to solve problems and plan for a better future for all Commonwealth nations.