“The Commonwealth is pleased to facilitate connecting both G20 and non-G20 members to discuss ways of addressing the most pressing development needs, especially those of small and vulnerable developing countries” - Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Deodat Maharaj
The Commonwealth and La Francophonie will hold their third annual development dialogue with the Group of Twenty - G20 - in Washington DC, next week.
The dialogue, which will take place at the International Monetary Fund headquarters on Monday, 7 April, will examine how best to prioritise development policy issues to be taken up by the two organisations with the G20. It will also discuss ways in which the relationship might develop to the benefit of Commonwealth and La Francophonie member states.
Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Deodat Maharaj said: “The Commonwealth is pleased to facilitate connecting both G20 and non-G20 members to discuss ways of addressing the most pressing development needs, especially those of small and vulnerable developing countries.”
Mr Maharaj added: “We believe that sustainable global economic recovery will take place when all countries are on board. This annual dialogue is yet another opportunity to deepen the very productive relationship we have with the G20. This particular dialogue benefits tremendously from a unique ‘Commonwealth factor’ with Australia, a Commonwealth member, holding the G20 Presidency.”
This year’s discussions will focus on how to achieve growth with resilience; the role of the informal sectors in promoting growth, jobs and sustainable development; improving trade to create jobs through value chains; and achieving tax transparency standards, growth and jobs in international financial centres.
In addition, the outcomes of The Third Global Biennial Conference on Small States that took place in St Lucia from 26 to 27 March 2014 will feed into the discussions of the G20 dialogue.
Many Commonwealth countries are expected to attend the development dialogue, including its poorest, smallest and most vulnerable members. They will be joined by the five Commonwealth countries that are G20 Development Working Group members.
Notes for Editors
Five of the Commonwealth’s 53 member countries are the in the G20. These are: Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
The dialogue will take place in HQ2 Building at the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC from 8:30 to 5:30pm. Journalists interested in covering the meeting are welcome to attend, and should contact the Commonwealth Secretariat through the contact details provided. Delegates will also be available for interviews. Journalists should contact Julius Mucunguzi to arrange these interviews.
The inaugural Annual Commonwealth G20 Dialogue took place in April 2012 in Washington DC. That meeting discussed the G20 development agenda and reflected on the priority challenges and policy issues of the Commonwealth’s developing countries. It looked at how best they could be addressed within the G20 framework. The first meeting followed a decision by Commonwealth Heads of Government in Perth, Australia in 2011, to hold such a dialogue annually.
