Latest content: Innovation

Four years ago, Ugandan engineer Shifra Ainomugisha, now 28, turned the rotten tomatoes of her childhood into a climate-smart business. This year she received the Commonwealth’s top youth honour.

As it celebrates its 40th year, the Information Technology for Development (ITD) journal is expanding its horizons and will now be published by the Association for Information Systems (AIS).

As superpower-driven artificial intelligence (AI) models evolve at pace, Chatham House research is turning the lens to how post-colonial Commonwealth countries are meaningfully shaping the global AI governance space. At a recent roundtable on the research, questions around inclusivity, language, localisation and job security were candidly addressed.

The Commonwealth Secretariat and United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) this week signed a joint declaration to maximise the solutions that space technology, innovation and collaboration offer. The agreement covers not only climate and environmental resilience but also access to distance learning education opportunities, and equitable access to services. 

Secretary-General remarks on the joint declaration between the Commonwealth Secretariat and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) on 12th June 2025 at Marlborough House.

By Rajiv Nair, Public Sector Governance Adviser at the Commonwealth Secretariat

By Raj Nair, Public Sector Governance Adviser at the Commonwealth Secretariat

This blog is the second in a series of three exploring effective approaches to data management. The first blog focused on the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and its implications for Commonwealth countries, highlighting the importance of a coordinated national approach to data management.

In this entry, we delve deeper into the necessity of a bottom-up approach to harness global data investments and build robust national data infrastructures.

Blog by Martin Raiser and Suresh Yadav

As participants gather with a shared commitment to safeguarding the planet's sustainability, the focus often rests on the earth's lands, waters, and climate. It's crucial to extend the gaze further – to the largely uncharted frontier of sustainability: the space above.

Managing public debt is often the largest and most complex portfolio in many countries. Artificial Intelligence (AI) could be a strategic game-changer for Debt Management Offices in making their public debt management processes more efficient, enhancing data analytics, and improving transparency.  

Educators convened for a four-day ‘Train the Trainers’ workshop at the University of The Gambia from 6 – 9 August 2024.

Policymakers across the Commonwealth can now craft comprehensive government policies and strategies, drawing on global best practices while allowing them to be tailored to local needs.

During a full day of in-person and online events commemorating International Youth Day, the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) team launched a virtual museum highlighting 50 years of supporting member countries with youth development work.

Thousands of people across the 56 Commonwealth countries will benefit from AI-driven initiatives meant to bridge the digital divide. One such initiative was launched recently, with the Commonwealth Secretariat joining forces with SAS, a global leader in data and artificial intelligence (AI).

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, has appointed Prof Richard Susskind OBE KC (Hon) as her Special Envoy for Justice and Artificial Intelligence.

The Commonwealth Secretariat has launched a ‘Makeathon’ in partnership with Open Weaver.

The 3rd Biennial Pan-Commonwealth Meeting for Heads of Public Service concluded with a resounding call for more investment in Smart technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance planning and decision-making for more efficient and effective public service delivery and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) across the Commonwealth. 

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, is supporting the growth of digital technology, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence (AI). The Secretariat is doing its part to accelerate progress with citizens in its 56 member states. 

Op-ed by Anne Wafula Strike MBE, PLY

It's the first day of the Olympics in 2040. The awe-inspiring spectacle of the opening ceremony has given way to lined tracks encircled by packed arenas waiting for the 100-meter dash to begin.

If the world is to stay on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, then artificial intelligence (AI) in sports can be harnessed and leveraged to meet those goals faster.