The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) is an intergovernmental organization created by Commonwealth Heads of Government to encourage the development and sharing of open learning/distance education knowledge, resources and technologies. It has been operational since 1989 from its headquarters in Vancouver, Canada. COL’s core operations are financed by voluntary pledges from Commonwealth governments. Its six major voluntary funding contributors – currently Canada, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa and the United Kingdom – each have a seat on COL’s Board of Governors. Its average annual core budget over the last three years has been around $7m. It has also periodically undertaken fee-for-service consulting for international agencies and national governments, amounting to around $2m annually