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Every two years, leaders from across the Commonwealth come together for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to discuss shared challenges, set priorities and shape the future of the organisation.
But CHOGM is about more than just governments. Civil society organisations, human rights advocates and communities also have a vital role in shaping the conversation. For LGBTI+ people across the Commonwealth, having the freedom to organise, build communities and advocate for change is essential to ensuring their voices are heard.
This is why The Commonwealth Equality Network (TCEN) is launching its 2026 campaign: “The Right to Organise: Freedom of Association for LGBTI People in the Commonwealth”.
Freedom of association means more than the right to register an organisation. It is the ability to come together, access resources, hold events, speak openly and participate in public life. Yet across the Commonwealth, LGBTI+ organisations face barriers including restrictive laws, administrative obstruction, funding restrictions and threats to their safety.
The Network’s research, which combines legal and policy analysis with a survey of 27 LGBTI+ civil society organisations and interviews with activists across seven countries, highlights a clear challenge. Organisations may be legally permitted to exist without having the freedom to operate safely and effectively.
Formal permission to exist is not the same as the freedom to organise.
Through this campaign, the Network will make freedom of association a central priority of its Commonwealth Advocacy Strategy for the next CHOGM cycle, bringing evidence and experiences from its members into wider Commonwealth advocacy.
As leaders gather in Antigua and Barbuda, TCEN’s delegates will help ensure that the realities facing LGBTI+ communities are part of the conversation.
A thriving civil society depends on people being able to come together, make their voices heard and contribute to decisions that shape their lives. Through collective action, the Network and its members are working towards a Commonwealth where everyone has the freedom to organise and advocate for change.