Leaders of the Commonwealth group, made up mostly of former British colonies, gathered for a three-day summit on Friday with increasing pressure to address human rights abuses among its members or face losing its relevance. Queen Elizabeth, 85, opened the meeting of leaders from 54 states within the Commonwealth, which represents 30 percent of the global population and includes five of the G20 leading economies. Despite its size and economic power, the Commonwealth has struggled to have a significant impact on global policies. The lead-up to the summit has been focused on calls for the group to take a firmer stance on human and political rights violations. A confidential report cautioned that failure to do so could render the Commonwealth ineffective as an organization. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard addressed this issue in her opening speech, emphasizing the need for member nations to understand that their peers expect them to uphold the group's values. A lot of discussion has been centered on Sri Lanka and the international calls for an independent investigation into allegations of war crimes during its 25-year civil war, particularly in the final months of 2009. Sri Lanka has stated that it will wait for the results of its own inquiry next month, dismissing the human rights pressure as propaganda from the defeated Tamil Tigers. A senior Commonwealth official noted that foreign ministers were unable to reach a consensus on a key recommendation from an "eminent persons" report suggesting the establishment of a rights commissioner. Canada, which has a significant Tamil community, has announced that it will boycott the 2013 Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka unless improvements are made to the host country's human rights record. Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific Deputy Director, Madhu Malhotra, stated that Commonwealth leaders must decide whether to reform the organization to effectively address human rights abuses by its members or risk losing relevance. British Prime Minister David Cameron rejected the idea that the Commonwealth was no longer valuable, emphasizing its importance as a network of 54 countries across six continents that share values of promoting human rights and democracy. Aborigines performed a cleansing ceremony at the opening ceremony in Perth, welcoming leaders to their traditional homeland. Aborigines view the British white settlement of Australia as an invasion, which was highlighted during a protest in Perth attended by 500 people. The protesters were kept away from the leaders by a large number of police in the business district, mainly occupied by mining companies. Smaller countries in the group, facing risks from global warming, are urging for a strong statement at the upcoming climate change summit in Durban. Additionally, there are calls for leaders to take action to stop the practice of child brides, with 12 of the 20 countries with the highest rates of child brides being in the Commonwealth. Health advocates argue that laws in 41 Commonwealth states criminalizing homosexuality violate human rights and impede efforts to combat HIV-AIDS, a disease that affects 60 percent of the global population in these states.