Latest content: Small states

Each year, between US $1.5 to $2 trillion is lost from the global economy in bribes, not counting forgone tax revenues and economic growth. Africa alone is drained of US $50 billion annually due to illicit financial flows, of which corruption is a major component.

In August 2017, Jeff Ardron, Ocean Governance Adviser at the Commonwealth Secretariat, reported on the first High-level Pacific Blue Economy Conference, in Fiji: “The ‘Blue Economy’ is a term that appears to have been invented independently by both Pacific Islanders and the colourful German entrepreneur Günter Pauli.

Karuna Rana is from Mauritius, an island state in the Indian Ocean. It is one of the Commonwealth’s small and vulnerable members. Ms Rana and other young people from those countries understand better than anyone else on earth, the threat of global warming.

African officials welcomed a new toolkit aimed at helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other internationally-agreed targets.

Jamaica received a US$0.6 million grant to fund REDD+ readiness actions as part of its Forest Policy, through the support of the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub.

The Government of Barbados announced that a total of six projects, ranging the funding value from US $90,000 to US $10,000,000 are at the advance stages of preparation.

Prime ministers in the Caribbean have welcomed the Commonwealth’s new array of powerful initiatives to shield small states from the ravages of storms, cyclones and hurricanes and help them build back better if they are hit. 

Bloomberg Philanthropies and The Commonwealth Secretariat today announced the signing of a multi-year agreement to explore a number of mutually supportive joint initiatives to aid international trade, innovation and sustainability.

Commonwealth leaders today agreed on a bold, co-ordinated push to protect the ocean from the effects of climate change, pollution and over-fishing. Their landmark decision to adopt a Commonwealth Blue Charter will affect one third of the world’s national coastal waters, helping to sustain livelihoods and ecosystems globally.

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.