The Commonwealth Secretariat and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) have joined forces to create a pioneering resource to support countries facing tough decisions on public debt.
Read news - Debt data quality tool to support better decision-making on public debtMain page for this area of work
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Ministers and senior officials will meet in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly on September 24 to discuss the urgent need for improved access to financial resources and debt relief for small states.
28 September 2020 to 2 October 2020
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The Commonwealth Secretariat is hosting its first Fintech Week from 28 September to 2 October.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has hailed India’s leadership in supporting vulnerable nations in the Commonwealth, describing it as an “area of hope” for all member countries.
Read news - India-UN Fund offers ‘opportunity and hope’ for vulnerable Commonwealth statesCommonwealth countries are at risk of losing foreign investment and trade from not having modern dispute resolution systems available to their business communities.
Read news - Arbitration study urges countries not to lose foreign investment and tradeThis study examines the determinants of export diversification for a group of Commonwealth member countries.
Read publication - Export Diversification, Upstreamness and Global Value ChainsIn Africa, micro, small and medium-size enterprises (MSMEs) in the informal economy are particularly vulnerable to economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read news - Blog: Five ways governments can help small businesses in the informal sector survive COVID-19This paper examines the effect of Commonwealth membership on greenfield investment, using bilateral data in a structural gravity model.
Read publication - Commonwealth Greenfield InvestmentThe Commonwealth has launched a new Financial Technology, or fintech, programme to boost governments’ capacity and knowledge of the industry.
Read news - Commonwealth Secretariat partners with Universities of Oxford and Cambridge to offer fintech training to member statesEligible countries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic can better manage debt relief from international lenders, using the Commonwealth Secretariat’s specialised software.
Read news - Commonwealth Meridian software helps countries manage debt relief for COVID-19When countries shuttered their shops, closed their markets, and cordoned off places of gathering to help ward off the coronavirus, they did so out of immediate concern for the health and wellbeing of their citizens.
Read news - Blog: What is lost in the smoke of COVID-19John Maynard Keynes became popular after his death for his teachings now called Keynesian economics, which are applied in most economic crises.
Read news - Blog: COVID-19 Crisis Responses: the Conundrum for Developing CountriesThe coronavirus pandemic has caused many countries to question their reliance on the tourism industry. But what options remain for economic growth outside of tourism?
Read news - Blog: Pandemic in Paradise: The Challenges and Future Prospects of the Tourism IndustryImagine a world without the internet and erase the last few decades of technological advancement. Then imagine how governments, schools and businesses would have dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read news - Blog: Making technology an effective weapon in the battle against COVID-19This issue of Trade Hot Topics provides an overview of the trade in COVID-19 medical goods by Commonwealth member countries.
Read publication - Trade in COVID-19-Related Medical GoodsIn the early months of 2020, much of the globe was put on pause as governments fought to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. For many, work came to a grinding halt as factories and shops were forced to close their doors, transforming a global health catastrophe into a labour market and economic crisis.
Read news - Blog: Striking at the core of the COVID-19 employment crisis13 May 2020 to 10 June 2020
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All Commonwealth countries will be hit hard by the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. To help countries to address the new challenges they are facing, the Commonwealth is hosting a virtual seminar series on ‘The Economics of COVID-19’ from May 13 to June 10.
The world is bracing for a massive hit to the global economy in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Read news - We must leverage the ‘Commonwealth Advantage’ to counter the economic fallout of COVID-19With ten years of the 2030 Agenda to go, and with the fifth Programme of Action for Least Developed Countries starting in 2021, there is a need to re-evaluate the system of international support for LDCs.
Read publication - A Critical Reflection on International Support for Least Developed CountriesA mere four months ago, many of us had never heard the term coronavirus, yet now the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, the disease it causes, fills our news feeds – and our thoughts— every day.
Read news - Embracing tech to tackle coronavirusThe achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) hinges on progress made within the Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
Read publication - Least Developed Country TransitionSome of the Commonwealth’s top entertainers and sporting stars joined Queen Elizabeth and other members of the Royal Family at a multi-faith service to celebrate Commonwealth Day.
Read news - Anthony Joshua, Alexandra Burke and Craig David performed at Commonwealth Day serviceThe Fourth Industrial Revolution presents significant opportunities and challenges for the Commonwealth.
Read publication - The State of the Digital Economy in the Commonwealth17 February 2020 to 19 February 2020
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The 2nd Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda Cluster Week will take place in London from 17 to 19 February 2020.
A record number of countries are set to leave the United Nations category of Least Developed Countries (LDC), but experts warn that without extra support they are at risk of sliding back into poverty.
Read news - Poor countries that succeed still need support say experts