Australiawill host the next Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in 2011 after Sri Lankaagreed to withdraw its offer to host.
In 2007, Sri Lanka offered to host the 2011 meeting, but has suffered a brutal civil war and alleged human and civil rights infringements.
A spokesman for Mr. Rudd said the host city had not been decided. But Foreign Minister Stephen Smith is believed to have proposed Perth.
The 52 Commonwealth nations will go to Copenhagen united in their determination to forge a meaningful agreement to combat climate change.
They have backed plans for the $US10 billion ($A11 billion) Copenhagen Launch fund, which will be used to assist nations vulnerable to the effects of global warming.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd described the communique as a “substantive document” that would provide momentum for a substantial outcome in Copenhagen.
“What the Commonwealth has done is throw its whole weight behind the process chaired by Danish Prime Minister [Lars] Rasmussen,” he said.
“The Commonwealth represents one-third of humankind … some of the largest countries, some of the smallest, some of the richest, some of the poorest.”
The agreement was also welcomed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and Mr Rasmussen, who will host the final UN talks on a new climate change meeting in just seven days.
Mr Rasmussen said he was delighted that 90 world leaders would attend in Copenhagen.
The document commits all Commonwealth countries to the goal of an operationally binding agreement at Copenhagenand a full legally binding outcome no later than 2010.
“In Copenhagenwe commit to focus our efforts on achieving the strongest possible outcome,” it says.
It is significant because India’s Prime Minister Manhohan Singh and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper were part of the consensus. India has made it clear it will not stand in the way of the agreement – Indiaand Chinahave agreed to put a joint position.
Mr Harper has yet to announce his country’s proposed greenhouse gas cuts, and has also at times been a critic of the Copenhagen process.
While the communique does not advance talks on specific targets or binding reductions to which Commonwealth countries will agree, it does commit to the need for “an early peaking year”. – (The Age, Australia)