A new report, Ageing Well in the Commonwealth: A Roadmap for Healthy Ageing Across the Life Course, launched at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa, indicates the urgent need to promote holistic wellness at all stages of life.
Read news -
Commonwealth Secretariat spotlights ageing well at CHOGM event
Main page for this area of work
“Voices of the Commonwealth” is a series dedicated to capturing these powerful narratives, showcasing the indomitable spirit that unites diverse regions under a shared banner.
This roadmap establishes a framework for how Commonwealth member countries can promote healthy ageing across the life-course for all citizens, and address the current and future challenges arising from ageing populations. It offers recommendations that aim to align policies and foster collaboration between government bodies, businesses and civil society, and provides an overview of tried-and-tested solutions that can be adapted to the unique needs of each country.
Read publication -
Ageing Well in the Commonwealth: A Roadmap for Healthy Ageing
The Commonwealth Secretariat and the Khalili Foundation have launched the Commonwealth Peace Prize, which aims to reward excellence in peacebuilding and celebrate long-serving standard-bearers who are also role models for young people.
Read news -
A Prize for Peace: Commonwealth Secretariat and Khalili Foundation announce new award
The Commonwealth Peace Prize will be awarded to a distinguished peace-builder with a strong track record of faith-based engagement in conflict resolution, promotion of social cohesion, and sustainable peace. The prize organised and delivered by the Khalili Foundation in partnership with the Commonwealth Secretariat, is a part of the Commonwealth Faith Festival and Faith in the Commonwealth Initiative.
23 September 2024 to 23 September 2024
(New York time GMT-4)
Event
The 24th Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting (CFAMM) will take place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, on 23 September 2024 from 10:00 AM-1:00 PM New York time.
Seven years ago, 18-year-old Friana Kwevira, a woman with a disability from Vanuatu, attended a coaching session organised by the Commonwealth Games Foundation. It was an experience unlike any other for Friana, who described it as the first time she felt treated like a human being.
Read news -
Behind medals: Inspiring stories of women with disabilities reveal difference opportunities can make
The Youth Development Index (YDI) is a resource for researchers, policy-makers and civil society, including young people, to track progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) associated with youth development.
Read publication -
Global Youth Development Report 2020
22 April 2024 to 24 April 2024
(BST)
Event
Top civil servants across the Commonwealth will meet in London for three days to explore how technology can enhance planning and decision-making for more efficient and effective service delivery.
On 4 March 2024, the Commonwealth Secretariat Human Rights Unit, in partnership with the Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum (CDPF), convened a side event on practical pathways to strengthen access to justice for persons with disabilities during the Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting in Zanzibar in the United Republic of Tanzania.
Read news -
Commonwealth leaders discuss ways to improve access to justice for people with disabilities
26 March 2024 to 26 March 2024
(GMT)
Webinar
The Commonwealth Secretariat, in partnership with the Sport for Development Coalition, will host the 8th annual Commonwealth Debate on Sport and Sustainable Development on 26 March 2024.
9 February 2024 to 9 February 2024
(GMT)
Event
In partnership with the Khalili Foundation, the Commonwealth Secretariat is embarking on a multi-cultural and multifaith initiative designed to enhance peace across the Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, has announced the appointment of three eminent leaders as her special envoys.
Read news -
Commonwealth Secretary-General appoints three eminent women as special envoys
A global overview of the state of youth development, using the most up-to-date comparative data to offer insights and illustrate trends across a range of indicators covering the period 2010–2022.
Read publication -
Global Youth Development Index Update Report 2023
School leaders across Mauritius have benefitted from an "innovative and valuable" three-day Commonwealth training programme.
Read news -
Mauritius school leaders first to benefit from innovative ‘tok-stori’ training programme
Delegates at a two-day Commonwealth conference have outlined strategies and actions to achieve true equity and inclusion for all persons with disabilities.
Read news -
Secretary-General pledges support to ‘strong and unified’ disability movement
The Commonwealth Secretariat and the Government of Seychelles hosted a series of events in Victoria this month to boost progress on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which includes the right to live independently and education without discrimination based on disability.
Read news -
Seychelles to improve lives of people with disabilities with Commonwealth assistance
3 October 2023 to 3 October 2023
Event
High-Level Fireside Chat
Hybrid Event/Marlborough House, the Commonwealth Secretariat
Annually, the UK celebrates October as Black History Month. The main aims of Black History Month are to commemorate the achievements and contributions of Black people to British Society and the world, and to educate the public and build awareness of Black history.
Hybrid Event/Marlborough House, the Commonwealth Secretariat
Annually, the UK celebrates October as Black History Month. The main aims of Black History Month are to commemorate the achievements and contributions of Black people to British Society and the world, and to educate the public and build awareness of Black history.
Award-winning Ugandan-British writer Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi to chair high-profile international judging panel. Prize opens for submissions until 1 November 2023. Entrants can submit stories in 13 languages for the chance to win international recognition and prize money.
Read news -
Judges announced for 2024 Commonwealth Short Story Prize
Citizens and organisations from the 56 Commonwealth countries can now submit entries for the Secretary-General’s Innovation for Sustainable Development Awards to win prestigious titles and cash prizes.
Read news -
Entries open for Commonwealth Secretary-General’s Innovation for Sustainable Development Awards
21 September 2023 to 21 September 2023
Conference
The 23rd Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting (CFAMM) will take place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, on 21 September 2023 from 9AM-12PM New York time.
Commonwealth women’s affairs ministers will meet in The Bahamas, from 21 to 23 August 2023 to consider strategies for achieving gender equality across all 56 member countries.
Read news -
Commonwealth women’s affairs ministers to focus on strategies for gender equality
21 August 2023 to 23 August 2023
Conference
The 13th Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting (13WAMM) will be held at the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort in Nassau, the Bahamas, from 21 to 23 August 2023 under the theme ‘Equality Toward a Common Future’.
The Commonwealth Secretariat, in partnership with UNESCO, has previewed a global report containing new data on the contribution of sport to sustainable development, with key metrics on worldwide activity levels, provision of physical activity in schools, gender and investment in sporting provision.
Read news -
'Investment in sport can be a catalyst for transformation': Commonwealth Secretary-General launches policy paper on first global sport impact report
The Global Sport and SDG Impact Report will be the first global baseline report on the global data available to evidence the contribution that physical education, physical activity and sport make to sustainable development. This policy brief offers a preview of that report, explaining its methodology and indicators, and highlighting areas in which measurable progress has been made and where gaps in the evidence have been found.
Read publication -
The Global Sport and Sustainable Development Goals Impact Report