The report argues that the Commonwealth should set tough membership criteria based on democracy and human-rights records.

ECONOMIST: The Commonwealth

Turkey's EU ambitions long pre-date the collapse of communism, and the country has recently made strenuous efforts to meet the EU's membership criteria including the abolition of capital punishment.

ECONOMIST: Growing and slowing | The

Other suggested changes to the structure of the ICC board and to the criteria for membership could be just as far-reaching.

WSJ: A Woolf at Cricket Chiefs' Door

He said the United States shortly would unveil a list of criteria for membership, including a country's economy, its commitment to democracy and human rights, its financial contribution to the United Nations and efforts toward fighting terrorism and weapons proliferation.

CNN: U.S.: Reform U.N. before expanding Security Council

One of the key criteria of ASEAN membership has been stability.

CNN: AND THEN THERE WERE TEN

The parliament focused on the annual progress report that says that Turkey - which has been a candidate country since 1999 - continues to fulfil the political criteria for EU membership, including free and fair elections, and constitutional reform.

BBC: MEPs split over Turkish EU membership prospects

The foreign secretary said he believed the Occupied Palestinian Territories had largely met the criteria for UN membership but the government wanted the Quartet - the United Nations, EU, Russia and the United States - to help the Israelis and Palestinians resume "meaningful negotiations" and reach a two-state deal.

BBC: UK to 'abstain' on Palestinian statehood bid

Absurd criteria were established to encourage membership.

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