Latest content: Economic development

The Commonwealth will offer strength, stability, solidarity and practical assistance to its member states and in particular will advocate for small and vulnerable economies the Commonwealth Secretary-General pledged yesterday at the CARICOM conference.

The Hub and Spokes II Programme enhances trade capacity in the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) regions by placing trade advisers in national ministries and Regional Economic Communities (RECs).

Climate change, indebtedness, protecting migrant remittances and banking systems, and the consequences of Britain’s exit from the EU on small and vulnerable economies are priority concerns for the Secretary-General at CARICOM Conference.

Senior officials from 18 Commonwealth small states and overseas territories expressed broad support for global efforts to promote greater international tax transparency, during a Commonwealth International Tax Roundtable in London hosted by the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Small and medium enterprises in India stand to gain from enhanced trade links with emerging markets across the globe, through a new Commonwealth business association launched today in New Delhi.

Barbados MP Donville Inniss has praised the Commonwealth Secretariat for its leadership on key issues affecting the Caribbean such as international tax and financial regulations.

Small Commonwealth countries and jurisdictions need an evidenced-based approach to understand the impact of international tax policies on institutions that offer financial services to overseas clients, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said today.

On 20-21 June, the Commonwealth International Tax Roundtable in London will bring together countries that host International Financial Centres (IFCs). IFCs offer overseas clients services such as international banking, investment management and insurance.

The Government of India is giving Commonwealth citizens the opportunity to attend fully-funded training courses across a range of areas, including rural development, IT, telecommunications and renewable energy, in association with the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Commonwealth ministers endorse a new strategic plan from the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation, giving it a mandate to promote universal access to broadband internet and strengthen cybersecurity.

A new initiative to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) trade and invest across the Commonwealth is being launched by the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC), with support from Royal Mail.

Her Majesty The Queen today launched a new Commonwealth Hub which will bring Commonwealth organisations together in the same location to create a collaborative, dynamic and innovative way of working.

Jamaica’s Minister of Finance and Public Service, Audley Shaw, met in London with the Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, to discuss strict new banking procedures designed to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

Government Ministers and policy advisers met at the Commonwealth’s headquarters in London today for a panel debate on how best to promote those governance systems which will best deliver the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Bahamas’ Minister of Environment and Housing, Kenred Dorsett, has commended the Commonwealth for advising on new legislation for the countries’ petroleum industry which aims to ensure economic and environmental sustainability.

A new regional design studio offering skills training to boost production and exports of finished leather goods in Eastern and Southern Africa has been hailed a success by project partners.

New report notes the number of least developed countries (LDCs) has doubled, not fallen since the United Nations (UN) introduced the categorisation in 1971.

Preserving marine biodiversity, conserving fishing stocks and tackling the effects of climate change are some of the key topics to be addressed at a two-day seminar (10-12 May) in Geneva.

Leather producers in Eastern and Southern Africa have traditionally exported raw hides, bringing in a limited income but a new design studio that opens today in Mombasa, Kenya promises to increase the value of the leather market.

Seychelles population of around 90,000 people has traditionally been dependent on both tourism and fishing, and in recent years the country has sought to pioneer the concept of a ‘blue economy’ focused around the marine environment.

The government’s efforts to lodge and defend continental shelf submissions to extend the country’s maritime jurisdiction at the United Nations have and continue to be supported by the Commonwealth Secretariat.

The Commonwealth has played a long-standing role in providing assistance to its members, particularly small island states and developing countries, to design strategies that open up new opportunities and create better development outcomes.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland says partnership key to achieving prosperity for all Jamaicans

Boosting the participation of small and less-developed countries in trade and industrial development and raising revenue through improved domestic tax policies will be the focus of a special dialogue in New York between the Group of 20 (G20) and Commonwealth and La Francophonie developing countries.