Latest content: Small states

Secretary-General Patricia Scotland celebrated new in-roads made by Sri Lanka, chair of the Commonwealth’s action group on mangroves, by planting a mangrove plant in the country’s famous Koggala Lagoon.The area is home to 10 out of the 22 true mangrove species found in Sri Lanka, and the site of extensive mangrove restoration efforts involving local communities, businesses and the government.
Read news - Secretary-General hails progress on mangrove action
Personally, as a Bahamian, I thought I knew hurricanes. We all thought we did. Having lived through seven of them since 2000, we had a knowledge that came from hard-learned lessons. We thought we knew how to prepare, how to respond, and how to rebuild. Professionally, I know about the development challenges of small states. At the Commonwealth, we have researched, studied, and calculated their vulnerability. 
Read news - Blog: Vulnerability and resilience after Dorian
With Hurricane Dorian having swept through The Bahamas with unprecedented intensity and force, causing extensive damage to infrastructure, and having reportedly claimed at least one life to date, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has on behalf of the wider Commonwealth family expressed deep concern to the government and people of The Bahamas.
Read news - Secretary-General expresses concern for The Bahamas in the wake of “catastrophic” Hurricane Dorian
A Commonwealth initiative designed to help small and other vulnerable states access international finances for tackling the effects of climate change, is poised to go global. The proposal to scale the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub from 10 to 39 developing small states and other vulnerable countries was approved at the Commonwealth Symposium on Climate Finance held in Malta.
Read news - Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub poised to go global