Commonwealth Secretary-General - Definition and Overview

The Commonwealth Secretary-General is the head of the Commonwealth Secretariat, the central body which has served the Commonwealth of Nations since its establishment in 1965. The Commonwealth Secretary-General should not be confused with the Head of the Commonwealth, who is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Secretaries-General

1. Arnold Smith (Canada), 1965 to 1975;
2. Sir Shridath (Sonny) Ramphal (Guyana), 1975 to 1990;
3. Chief Emeka Anyaoku (Nigeria), 1990 to 2000;
4. Don McKinnon (New Zealand), 2000 to the present.