February 17, 2026

LAW ministers from Commonwealth countries have agreed to focus on new measures aimed at strengthening legal protections for people amid growing democratic, economic and climate pressures.

The commitments, set out in an outcome statement issued last weekend, followed three days of discussions in Fiji among ministers, with input from diverse stakeholders, including disability rights advocates and legal innovators.

A central outcome was the adoption of the Nadi Declaration, which commits all Commonwealth countries to renewing democracy by strengthening the rule of law, protecting human rights and making it easier for people to take part in decisions that affect their lives. Ministers agreed to advance the declaration through cooperation, capacity-building and collective action.

They also pledged to combat misinformation and disinformation – including foreign interference in democracies – and to improve access to justice for vulnerable groups, especially women, young people and persons with disabilities.

Recognising the growing impacts of climate change, ministers reaffirmed that countries should retain their maritime zones, rights and entitlements even as rising sea levels alter coastlines.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey said the commitments were vital to upholding the rule of law at a time when it was under attack.

“To continue along the current path would be to accept injustice and inequality as the new normal.

“For the Commonwealth, that is not an option,” she said.

“When the rule of law is weakened, the consequences are felt in people’s daily lives.

“Without it, peace turns to instability, fair pay to exploitation, and climate resilience to vulnerability.”

She added: “The rule of law is what holds that line.

“That is why we must defend it, actively and collectively.

“What we have agreed here is an important step in that direction.

“The task now is to work together to ensure our commitments deliver opportunity, dignity and prosperity for every Commonwealth citizen.”

As the rule of law continues to slide worldwide for the eighth straight year, the meeting of justice ministers from across the Commonwealth focused on how to halt the decline at a moment of growing global concern.

According to the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2025, the world is now in a deepening “rule of law recession”, with 68 per cent of countries recording declines in 2025, up from 57 per cent in 2024.

The Index points to a worrying erosion of checks on government power, shrinking civic space, weakened judicial independence and a rise in authoritarian practices.

More than 70 per cent of countries saw increased restrictions on civic freedoms last year, while key safeguards meant to restrain executive overreach weakened in most countries.

For Africa, the Index points to both warning signs and glimmers of hope.

While many countries on the continent have been affected by the global downturn, the WJP Index notes that every region has at least one country improving.

In Africa, Senegal led the way in 2025, with a 1.6 per cent gain, bucking the global trend.