1946 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference

2nd Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference

Host country	United Kingdom
Dates	23 April 1946– 25 May 1946
Cities	London
Participants	5
Chair	Clement Attlee (Prime Minister of the United Kingdom)
Follows	1944
Precedes	1948
Key points
Post-war settlement and peace treaties, Commonwealth security arrangements, United Nations

The 1946 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference was the second Meeting of the Heads of Government of the British Commonwealth. It was held in the United Kingdom in from April to May 1946, and was hosted by that country's Prime Minister, Clement Attlee.

Discussions were primarily related to political and economic settlements arising from the end of World War II. The final communiqué expressed the Commonwealth's support for the creation of the United Nations as an instrument for peace and security as well as for raising the standard of living and the promotion of democratic liberty throughout the world.

This was the final Prime Ministers' Conference consisting only of the "Old Commonwealth" of majority white nations and white-led South Africa.

Ireland did not participate although at the time the British Commonwealth still regarded Ireland as one of its members. Neutral Ireland considered it inappropriate to attend on the basis that the Conference was "discussing matters relating to the war". Ireland had not participated in any equivalent conferences since 1932.

Participants

Nation	Name	Portfolio
United Kingdom	Clement Attlee	Prime Minister (Chairman)
Australia	Ben Chifley	Prime Minister
Canada	William Lyon Mackenzie King	Prime Minister
New Zealand	Walter Nash	Deputy Prime Minister
South Africa	Jan Smuts	Prime Minister

References

The Commonwealth at the Summit: Communiqués of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings, 1944-1986. Commonwealth Secretariat. 1987. pp. 15–17. ISBN 9780850923179.
Taoiseach de Valera quoted from the Oireachtas Committee on Finance; External Affairs; Wednesday, 19 June 1946

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Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conferences	1944 1946 1948 1949 1951 1952 1953 1955 1956 1957 1960 1961 1962 1964 1965 1966 (Jan) 1966 (Sept) 1969
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