A blog by: Akeem Rahaman, Economic Advisor, Sophie Brain, Research Officer, and James Gregory, Research Officer work in the Economic Policy and Small States Directorate of the Commonwealth Secretariat.
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Driving FinTech Innovation in Commonwealth Countries
Main page for this area of work
11 October 2022 to 12 October 2022
Conference
Finance ministers will meet in person for the Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting (CFMM) on 12 October 2022 and the Commonwealth Central Bank Governors (CCBG) meeting on 11 October in Washington D.C.
Pamella McLaren, the Advisor and Head of the Debt Management of the Commonwealth Meridian Secretariat, has challenged 35 debt managers of the sub-region to utilize the use of the “Commonwealth Meridian” system for financial debt data collection, reporting, and monitoring within member countries.
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Liberia: “Use Commonwealth Meridian to Manage Debt Portfolio”
28 July 2022 to 28 July 2022
Webinar
Organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat, Enhanced Integrated Framework and the World Economic Forum, the thematic focus of the session is on solutions to build capacity for developing countries to engage fully and effectively in digital trade. This aligns most closely with the Global Review’s themes of “connectivity and empowerment” and “future priorities”.
27 July 2022 to 27 July 2022
Webinar
Organised by the Commonwealth Small States Office in Geneva, the session will focus on pragmatic ways to address the connectivity constraints limiting the participation of small economies in global trade. This aligns most closely with the Global Review’s theme of “connectivity and empowerment”.
By Brendan Vickers, Head, International Trade Policy Section; Salamat Ali, Economic Adviser, Trade Economist and Neil Balchin, Economic Adviser, Trade Policy Analysis, The Commonwealth Secretariat, London.
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Blog: Tackling food insecurity in Commonwealth small states in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war
The Commonwealth Secretariat’s Debt Management Unit (DMU) in collaboration with the Development Bank of Jamaica Limited delivered a workshop and forum for Caribbean Public Debt Managers in Jamaica.
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The Commonwealth Secretariat and the Development Bank of Jamaica Partnered on PPP Workshop and Forum
This week the Commonwealth Secretariat held a four-day workshop in the Maldives for grassroots female entrepreneurs to help them leverage digital infrastructure opportunities for E-Commerce and Digital Marketing.
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Commonwealth empowers women entrepreneurs in the Maldives to do business through e-commerce
Last week the Commonwealth Secretariat held a three-day workshop in Nepal for grassroots female entrepreneurs to help them leverage digital infrastructure opportunities for E-Commerce and Digital Marketing.
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Commonwealth supports female entrepreneurs in Asia to leverage e-commerce opportunities
The Commonwealth Secretariat is offering a host of new e-learning courses on its public debt management system, Commonwealth Meridian, first launched in 2019.
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Commonwealth Secretariat launches debt management e-learning courses
Blog by Neil Balchin, Economic Adviser, International Trade Policy Section
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Blog: Achieving growth with structural change in LDCs: Priorities for the Doha Programme of Action
31 March 2022 to 31 March 2022
Webinar
The Commonwealth Secretariat is hosting its fifth webinar in the Data, Technology and Digitalisation series on 31 March with leading industry experts across the Commonwealth.
Last month, the Commonwealth Trade Competitiveness team together with the Gambia’s Ministry of Trade and the Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (GiEPA) held a two-day exporters’ stakeholder forum aimed at identifying the most efficient ways to ensure the successful implementation of the Gambia’s National Export Strategy (NES) for 2021-2025.
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Commonwealth helps The Gambia implement National Export Strategy
By Brendan Vickers, Economic Adviser and Head, International Trade Policy Section; Salamat Ali, Economic Adviser & Trade Economist and Neil Balchin, Economic Adviser, Trade Policy Analysis, The Commonwealth Secretariat
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Why the least developed countries of the Commonwealth are doing better at trade
23 February 2022 to 23 February 2022
Webinar
The Commonwealth Secretariat is formally launching a new digitised report on “A new programme of action for Commonwealth Least Developed Countries: Progress, challenges and priorities”.
The Commonwealth helps boost trade between member countries to create prosperity for all. Here are some of our programmes that support trade and economy.
A new toolkit launched in the margins of the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 aims to unlock clean energy investments for small island nations, many of whom rely heavily on imported fossil fuels for power generation.
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New toolkit to boost clean energy investments in small island nations
Breaking the world’s reliance on fossil fuels and accelerating the global uptake of renewable energy will play a decisive role in diminishing the threat of global warming to the survival of life on earth, according to experts. But turning the vision into reality will demand unwavering political will and, critically, massive investment, which can no longer be shouldered solely by aid and development partners.
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Mobilising the ‘Tools’ for renewable energy investment in the Seychelles
16 November 2021 to 17 November 2021
Event
The SPD and ICT teams are collaborating with the Commonwealth Pharmacist Association, SAPAM and external country based individuals to share our success at the 2021 NetHope Summit at a Session titled “Partnering to Promote Information Sharing in Commonwealth Medical Procurement”
After three years in the making, last week the Commonwealth Secretariat launched its new Voluntary Information and Price-Sharing database (VIPSD). One-third of the world’s population lacks access to essential medicines, with most of them living in poor countries, while rising prices of new drugs are becoming a challenge in wealthy states. And, since the global Covid-19 pandemic, the urgent need for essential medicines has intensified.
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Commonwealth Launches Voluntary Information and Price Sharing Database
At their annual meeting, Commonwealth Finance Ministers were urged to take action to change the current development finance architecture, enhance access to finance for countries vulnerable to climate change and address debt sustainability.
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Finance Ministers call for change to development finance architecture to fight climate change and address debt vulnerabilities
At UNCTAD15 in Barbados, Commonwealth Secretary-General spoke on a hybrid virtual and in-person roundtable on the theme of ‘Regional integration for a resilient, inclusive and sustainable future’.
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Our most urgent priority must be greater access to vaccines, says Commonwealth Secretary-General at UNCTAD15
More than 200 women have completed a Women Economic Entrepreneurship Training (WEET) programme, delivered in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat, to empower them with the skills to establish their own businesses.
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Commonwealth empowers female entrepreneurs through training programme in Pakistan
Event
The Commonwealth Secretariat is hosting a UN World Data Forum local meet-up on October 5, 2021, entitled Making it Count, the Value of Commonwealth Data, to discuss the importance of data for sustainable development.
12 October 2021 to 12 October 2021
Event
Finance ministers will meet virtually for the 2021 Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting on Tuesday 12 October 2021 from 09:00hrs - 11:00 EST time / 14:00 - 16:00 UK Time.