News and events
Event: 8th Annual World Ocean Summit
In its eighth year, The Economist’s World Ocean Summit 2021 is going virtual for the first time and for this year only, the event is free-to-attend.
Event: International Women’s Day 2021 – women’s leadership in building back better after COVID-19
On International Women’s Day, the Commonwealth Secretariat will host a virtual event to put a spotlight on women’s leadership in responding to COVID-19 and charting an equitable recovery.
Commonwealth Secretary-General congratulates new head of WTO
Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has welcomed the historic appointment of former Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to head the World Trade Organization, the first woman and representative of the African continent to do so.
Event: COVID-19 and Tourism: Mapping a way forward for Commonwealth Small States
This virtual event will explore the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism sector, including a review of current policy initiatives being undertaken to tackle the tourism decline.
International Women’s Day 2021 – Sea the She: Recognising women’s contributions to ocean science
In the lead up to International Women’s Day, the Commonwealth Secretariat will be celebrating women’s contributions to ocean science. Secretary General Baroness Scotland will introduce this special web event highlighting inspiring stories of women from across the Commonwealth who are challenging gender norms through their work in ocean industries.
Event: 2021 Commonwealth Youth Awards ceremony
The winners of the annual Commonwealth Youth Awards will be announced on 10 March. The ceremony will take place during Commonwealth Week and will be held virtually for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty finalists from 18 countries are up for five regional awards. Of the five regional winners, one outstanding young person will become the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year 2021.
Online performance management training for governments launched
The Commonwealth Secretariat has launched an online training programme on performance management for member governments.
20 finalists announced for Commonwealth Youth Awards 2021
Twenty extraordinary young individuals including inventors, activists and entrepreneurs from 18 countries have been announced as finalists for this year’s Commonwealth Youth Awards. The awards recognise outstanding Commonwealth young people whose projects are transforming lives in their communities and helping to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
New Producers Group launch new website
The New Producers Group has launched a web platform that showcases its wide range of activities and resources as well as a ‘members portal’ for the network of 30 emerging oil and gas-producing countries to engage with each other.
Robotic floats give hope for tackling ocean climate change
Close to 4,000 robotic devices deployed in oceans around the world will soon be upgraded to collect a wider range of vital data on ocean health – this will help researchers better understand the impacts of the climate crisis on ocean life and blue economies.