Focus areas
- Modernise debt management with Commonwealth Meridian
- Increase Commonwealth trade and investment, including with the private sector
- Foster shared prosperity, especially for small states
- Through a Common Framework on Debt Treatment, advocate for more equitable terms for small countries
- Improve access to markets for young people and women
Trade is a key driver of resilience. Intra-Commonwealth trade reached US$768 billion in 2021, and is projected to grow to $1.2 trillion by 2027; our Heads of Government have set a target of $2 trillion. To this end, we will help countries open new doors for trade and investment by harnessing the shared strengths of the Commonwealth. We will work with countries and partners to enable easier, fairer, and more digital ways of doing business that reduce costs and remove barriers, and to advance digital readiness and innovation to prepare young people for emerging economic opportunities. We will engage the private sector to expand investment readiness and access to finance. Through the Commonwealth Small States Offices, the Secretariat will ensure that even the smallest countries can thrive.
We will support countries to manage debt more openly and effectively, using our Meridian system to help governments make better-informed financial decisions. We will stand with small and vulnerable states to push for fairer access to finance and debt relief on the global stage. By working with partners such as the IMF, World Bank, and G20, and through coalitions like the Bridgetown Initiative (which proposes innovative and equitable ways to enable climate-vulnerable states to build true climate resilience), the Secretariat will make sure that our members’ voices are heard, and that they have the tools they need to build stronger, more resilient economies.
Small businesses are the backbone of jobs and growth across the Commonwealth. The Secretariat will work with governments and partners to make it easier for entrepreneurs – especially women and young people – to access finance, technology, and new markets.