Latest content: Economic development

22 June 2021 to 22 June 2021
Event
In the face of multiple global crises, debt-for-climate swaps are being widely discussed as an instrument to manage mounting public debts, climate change challenges and Covid-19 recovery. Belize is a small island developing state in the Caribbean region facing these challenges. The Government of Belize has requested the Commonwealth Secretariat to provide assistance to design and implement a ‘Debt for Climate/Nature Swap Mechanism’ for the country.
10 June 2021 to 10 June 2021
Event
The Commonwealth Secretariat is hosting a webinar in partnership with Microsoft about the skills that young people need to be competitive as employees, entrepreneurs and digital citizens. Over 60 percent of the Commonwealth's 2.4 billion citizens are aged 29 or under. This webinar will offer an opportunity for young people from across the Commonwealth to talk about their digital skills needs and challenges with industry experts.
2 March 2021 to 2 March 2021
Event
In this virtual event, speakers will discuss digital agriculture and digital fisheries, especially during the global health pandemic. The event builds on the outcomes of the 4th Supply-Side Connectivity Cluster meeting of the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda held in November 2020 which called for a focus on smart agriculture for sustainable development.
Gambian President Adama Barrow has told the Commonwealth Secretary-General that his country is “happy to be back” in the family. The Secretary-General is in The Gambia for her first official visit since the country re-joined the Commonwealth in 2018 - almost five years after leaving the association. She commented: “President Barrow’s words are a testimony to the longstanding partnership between The Gambia and the Commonwealth."
Read news - ‘Happy to be back in the Commonwealth,’ Gambian President tells Secretary-General
Annual transfers of money by foreign migrant workers to their home countries play a huge role in many countries. These remittances provide income support for family members back home and, in some cases, provide funding for start-ups. Remittances are also a source of foreign exchange reserves for developing countries and they help contain trade balances and widen the revenue base through increased consumption
Read news - De-mystifying the effects of COVID-19 on remittances
Beyond the immediate human impact, violence against women and girls also costs billions of dollars a year, be it in lost work, damaged children, hospital fees or police time. The global cost of violence against women and girls was estimated at $1.5 trillion in 2016 – making everyone across the world at least $200 poorer that year.
Read news - Blog: Ending violence against women and girls can add trillions to economy