Latest content: Economic development

Collective action to help women overcome barriers to entrepreneurship makes good economic sense. This is the message that rang loud and clear as government leaders, ministers, activists and world-renowned professionals met to deliberate women’s economic empowerment on the second day of the Commonwealth Women’s Forum in London today.

An innovative way for small states to obtain easier access to international trade finance has been launched at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London.

Immigrants to the United Kingdom from Commonwealth countries are not investing as much money back to their home countries as they could. This ‘investment gap’ is a key finding from the first comprehensive assessment of UK diaspora investment.

Former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates spoke at a joint plenary session between all four forums of the Commonwealth Summit, about the importance of collaboration and sharing during his keynote address.

The Commonwealth has launched three initiatives to boost intra-Commonwealth trade and investment. On the margins of the 21st Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, it formed the Intra-Commonwealth Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Association (ICSA) and the Commonwealth Alliance for Young Entrepreneurs (CAYE) in Asia-Pacific, as well as unveiling a trade portal to help businesses.

Intra-Commonwealth trade and productive greenfield investment is expected to reach US$1.6 trillion by 2020, in spite of the global trade slowdown caused by the 2008 financial crisis.

The role of the Commonwealth is a positive influence for strengthening trade links across boundaries and building prosperity in which all can share, said Secretary-General Patricia Scotland.

In November 2017, Edmund Paul Kalekyezi, the National Trade Adviser to Guyana, presented a paper discussing why the country’s international trade treaties have not always brought about the desired results.

It is well known that many small states struggle to acquire the finance needed to support their development goals.  The Commonwealth Secretariat has recently been exploring the potential of diaspora investment to support development.

Kiritimati is the largest atoll in the island group, and the largest atoll in the world, located 3,301 kilometres north east across the Pacific Ocean from the Gilbert Islands, the main island group. From Tarawa it can only be reached via Fiji, with only one flight connection available a week.

The three-day workshop enhanced participants’ understanding of the use of analytical tools in assessing international trade dynamics. The knowledge acquired from the workshop will assist their involvement in trade policy analysis and in determining foreign trade positions and strategies, especially regarding preferential trade agreements.  This will also be crucial for the development and implementation of effective and evidence-based trade policies and strategies.

Staged in partnership with the OECS and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the workshop was held in St. Vincent and the Grenadines from 14 -16 November 2017.

The CARICOM Secretariat convened a consultation to take stock of implementation among member states of the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and identify specific assistance required.

Elections observers have set out a range of recommendations for strengthening the democratic processes in The Bahamas, Lesotho and Tonga in three new reports.

The Hub and Spokes Programme provides trade experts to national ministries and regional trade organisations to enhance trade capacity in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of states.

Blog by Katherine Kennedy, Head of Climate Change, at the second day of the World Sustainable Development Summit in Delhi.

Experts in international environmental ocean law met at the Commonwealth headquarters last week to discuss environmental damages liability in relation to seabed mining and mineral exploitation.

Jamaica is setting the stage for private sector investment in support of low carbon, climate resilient growth after signing its second readiness Grant Agreement with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) at the Jamaica House in Kingston. 

A project to support sustainable fashion across the Commonwealth and ensure designers and producers are supported has been launched.

Is there merit to an aid system focused on vulnerability? What problems could arise with the Caribbean Development Bank's proposal for the Caribbean? Travis Mitchell, Head of Economic Policy and Small States invites your thoughts.

The government of Guyana is set to implement new laws which will enable it to bolster its economy, tackle poverty and meet crucial sustainable development targets.

Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Josephine Ojiambo has concluded her trip to the WTO Ministers Conference (MC11) by saying ‘trade is the lifeblood for many of our members’.

The Commonwealth Secretariat and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) will join forces at the Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland spoke of the importance of the Commonwealth’s proposed Blue Charter when she met with UN Special Envoy on Oceans Peter Thomson at Marlborough House.

Deputy Secretary-General Josephine Ojiambo delivered compelling insights into the Commonwealth’s work on e-commerce to business leaders, policy makers and students at the International Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) Global Debate, entitled Moving Forward on Digital Trade.