Latest content: Small states

Leaders and ministers convened in London, yesterday for the first high-level discussions of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Their focus was on how best to support the Commonwealth’s 31 small states, which face unique vulnerabilities.

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.

UK Secretary of State for International Trade, Liam Fox, today renewed his country’s support for the Commonwealth’s Small States Office in Geneva.

Globally, the number of climate disasters has tripled since 1980, while, hot weather in 2016 broke the historic record set in 2015. Climate change threatens all nations and peoples regardless of their location or economy. The Commonwealth represents 53 countries many of these are least developed; small or most vulnerable to climate change.

Thirty one of the Commonwealth’s 53 member countries are small states including some of the most disaster-prone and climate-vulnerable nations in the world.

The Commonwealth’s Climate Finance Access Hub (CFAH) is playing a role in the emerging area of Blue Carbon.

Is the growing frequency of robust and destructive category 5 storms a norm or exception? And what does this mean for the economic development and very existence of small states? Wonderful Hope Khonje, Technical Economic Officer, invites your thoughts.

Hundreds of mangroves were planted in Mauritius last week as part of a Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub and Air Mauritius partnership aimed at expanding the Pointe d’Esny wetland site of mangroves.

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. 

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.

Experts from the Commonwealth will this week provide a preview of an ambitious new initiative to support member countries rebuild and sustainably manage their marine resources.

Permanent and irreversible damage caused by climate change can only be tackled by collective action, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has said.

The Government of Kiribati has welcomed the Commonwealth’s support as it works to strengthen its health system.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has said that climate change requires a complete regenerative revolution in the way we interact with our environment. 

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.

Storm ravaged countries need the Commonwealth’s innovative regenerative model to build back better and stronger, Secretary-General Patricia Scotland asserted last night in a powerful presentation about the Commonwealth’s importance.

Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has challenged the youth of the Commonwealth to tackle climate change through bold innovation.

Delegates to a side event on the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub at COP23 in Bonn, Germany, have described the initiative as ‘remarkable’.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has called for increased funding to help member states rebuild their countries after natural disasters.

Ms. Shamoy Hajare is the founder and CEO of Jamaica School for Social Entrepreneurship (JSSE), and is passionate about the role of young people in strengthening the blue and green economies through enterprise development.

A new online resource that supports climate change law-making is to be unveiled at COP23 in Bonn this week. The Law and Climate Change Toolkit is aimed at government policy makers responsible for developing laws that help implement the Paris Agreement.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has promised to ramp up advocacy for the reform of development assistance rules which member states say are restricting aid to storm ravished countries in the Caribbean.

Secretary-General Patricia Scotland praised the resilience and resolve of Antiguans and Barbudans as she attended an independence day celebration and visited a shelter for those affected by Hurricane Irma.

Secretary-General Patricia Scotland is urging the international community to keep devastated islands in the Caribbean high on its agenda as she heads to Antigua and Barbuda today.