Leaders of the Commonwealth, a group primarily made up of former British colonies, convened for a three-day summit on Friday with the expectation to address human rights abuses among its members in order to maintain its relevance. Queen Elizabeth of Britain inaugurated the meeting which included leaders from 54 states representing 30 percent of the global population and five of the G20 leading economies. The group has struggled to have a significant impact on global policies. The summit has been overshadowed by calls for a stronger stance on human and political rights violations. A confidential report to the group warned that failure to act could render the Commonwealth ineffective as an organization. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard emphasized the importance of member nations upholding the group's values and the need for those falling short to make necessary changes. The focus of much of the debate has been on Sri Lanka and the international pressure 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 investigation next month, dismissing the pressure as propaganda from the defeated Tamil Tigers. A senior Commonwealth official mentioned that foreign ministers were unable to agree on a key recommendation for the appointment of a rights commissioner in a recent report. Canada, which has a large Tamil community, has announced it will boycott the 2013 Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka unless there is improvement in the host country's human rights record. Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific Deputy Director, Madhu Malhotra, stated that Commonwealth leaders must choose between reforming the organization to effectively address human rights violations by its members or risk becoming irrelevant. British Prime Minister David Cameron rejected the idea that the Commonwealth was no longer valuable, emphasizing its significance as a network spanning 54 countries across six continents and promoting values of human rights, democracy, and freedom. Additionally, Aboriginal people performed a cleansing ritual during the opening ceremony in Perth, welcoming leaders to their traditional land. Aborigines view the British white settlement of Australia as an invasion, which was evident during a protest in Perth where 500 people demonstrated on various issues. The protesters were kept away from leaders by a large police presence in the central business district, which is dominated by mining companies. Some smaller countries within the group are concerned about global warming and are urging for a strong statement at the upcoming climate change summit in Durban. Additionally, there have been calls for leaders to address the issue of child brides, as twelve of the 20 countries with the highest rates of child brides are in the Commonwealth. Health advocates argue that the laws in 41 Commonwealth states criminalizing homosexuality violate human rights and are hindering efforts to combat HIV-AIDS, a disease that affects 60 percent of the world's population in these states.