With increasing global challenges, the Commonwealth of Nations is seeking a new model of partnership and cooperation to remain competitive, with group’s Secretary General Shirley Botchwey, announcing today that Commonwealth officials will be meeting early next year with industry leaders to work to reduce trade barriers to increase trade within the Commonwealth.

At the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) this morning in Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth Secretary General said the Commonwealth has already started to make transformative changes.

She said the goal is to build a new model of partnership and cooperation that would be capable of responding to the scale of challenge facing member states, and to avoid the mistakes of the past by making our collective interest the sum of our individual national interest.

She announced that members have already submitted bankable projects valued at US$52 billion, and as early as this week, members will be connected with investors. 

“We shall follow this up with a trade and investment conference next year. For the first time, we shall bring together ministers of trade, finance and investment, with CEOs to work to reduce trade barriers among our countries to make our goal of 2 trillion US dollars intra-Commonwealth trade a reality in a few years. In partnership with trade and investment advisory groups, we expect the conference to facilitate the needed high impact investments to every member country,” SG Botchwey noted.

The Secretary General said people will judge this year’s meeting by what it has delivered for them in light of all that is happening globally.

She said too many Commonwealth nations are being held back by the rules on debt treatment and concessional funding and that needs to change.

“So, we are working together on a common platform that positions the Commonwealth to change the international financial system for the benefit of our people,” the SG noted.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne issued a call for a new chapter of cooperation among Commonwealth member states in the face of an unequal global power system.

“We gather at a time when global power remains unequal, national interest increasingly compete and foundations of international cooperation are under strain. From these Caribbeans shores, we understand how decisions taken far beyond our borders can profoundly affect our people. Conflicts destroy lives and disrupt economies; supply chain disruptions drive up prices and debt constraints national crisis. Climate change threatens livelihood and survival of vulnerable states,” PM Browne stated.

Browne also called for a new financing structure for small islands especially those vulnerable to natural disasters. President Irfaan Ali is among Commonwealth Heads of Government attending the important meeting in Antigua. C

Related posts:

CARICOM Member States to vote for candidate of their choice in Commonwealth SG race President hopes for Commonwealth Declaration in support of Guyana at Malta Meeting Commonwealth stands in Guyana’s corner over Venezuela’s latest claim Speaker writes Commonwealth seeking help on Parliamentary crisis