Latest content: Governance and law

A five-day high level training programme aimed at improving the management of Grenada’s Integrity Commission and other public-sector organisations has just been delivered by the Commonwealth Secretariat.

The fight to end violence against women and girls will be bolstered by the publication of a new guide offering support to judges across Asia.

Australia’s pledge to provide funding for the recently established Commonwealth initiative to counter violent extremism has been formally documented in a memorandum of understanding (MoU).

Commonwealth citizens are set to benefit from improved legal services in a range of areas as law ministers ended their meeting in The Bahamas with a raft of agreements and pledges.

An expert group of international lawyers specialising in oceans law met at Marlborough House to discuss key legal issues relating to seabed mining in international waters, a frontier industry attracting interest as a result of the increase in global demand for metals.

Commonwealth law ministers and attorneys-general turned their attention to the fight against terrorism as they neared the end of their summit in The Bahamas.

A comprehensive legal resource that will help countries strengthen existing laws and create new legislations was unveiled at a major ministerial conference today.

The Commonwealth Secretariat has been praised for strong initiatives to promote and protect justice as attorneys-general, law ministers and senior law officials began their summit in The Bahamas today.

Law is still very much seen as a world of books, papers, and procedures, set in its own well established ways and untouched by modern technologies. In fact, this image could not be further from the truth. Technology has changed the world we live in, and that is true for law as well.

The Commonwealth will unveil a package of legislative reform tools at its Law Ministers Meeting in Nassau, The Bahamas, from 16 to 19 October 2017.

Innovation will be at the centre of ways to tackle shared challenges facing Commonwealth countries when finance ministers, central bank governors, and senior finance officials meet this week in Washington DC.

Senior officials from across Africa praised a training workshop last month aimed at helping heads of anti-corruption authorities better manage law enforcement agencies.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has told the Wilberforce World Freedom Summit that it is likely that ways to end forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and the worst forms of child labour will be among global priorities to be considered when Commonwealth leaders meet next April.

Chief Justices from around the Commonwealth have been meeting this week in Tanzania at the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association (CMJA) conference, where independence and diversity were highlighted as key to an effective judiciary.

The Secretary-General and a team of specialists from the Commonwealth are in Apea, Samoa, to attend meetings in advance of the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting

The Commonwealth Secretariat is engaging the government of Cameroon on a national governance strategy which reflects shared values of “peace, tolerance, respect and understanding”, says Secretary-General Patricia Scotland.

Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi has joined leaders across Africa to praise the Secretariat for the revamping and the renewed relevance of the Commonwealth.

Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has today met with President Edgar Lungu, main opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema and Catholic bishops after landing in Zambia yesterday for an official four-day visit.

Deep beneath the ocean, the seabed holds rich deposits of minerals: gold, silver, cobalt, copper, nickel, zinc, as well as lesser known chemical elements like tellurium - used to make solar panels.

Trade governance structures must be “fit for purpose” to address the changing global landscape and benefit Commonwealth member countries, Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has said.

Experts from around the globe have discussed ways to support more women into politics during two significant events hosted by the Commonwealth.

In a wide ranging discussion, the prime minister spoke about ways in which the Commonwealth could help The Bahamas, especially around protecting marine life and marine conservation.

High commissioners have praised as “momentous” a new Commonwealth office to help member states tackle, among other challenges, corruption.

A group of 25 people will be attending a workshop on Friday 7 July to discuss the findings of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s studies on women’s political participation in the Commonwealth.

Canada’s Minister of Finance, Bill Morneau, will chair the 2017 Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting (CFMM) in Washington, D.C., this October.