Decisions taken at Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit
Leaders of the 53 member countries of the commonwealth together with their foreign, business, investment and trade ministers, among others met from 16th to 20th April in London for the 2018 edition of Heads of government summit. Nearly 80 forums christened, business, youth, women and the peoples forums were held to explore topics like the global economic outlook the position of the commonwealth, security, restoring public confidence in businesses, trade without frontiers, reimaging migration, legislative reforms in the commonwealth, a look at the environment among other global matters. At the end, a number of proposals and measures were put on the table for action.
Paramount among these were the urgent need to find means to development and sustain the oceans, intra-Commonwealth trade, sharing of ideas and supporting each other especially the 31 smaller countries within the organisation. The Heads of government concluded that member states must galvanize intra-commonwealth trading activities to increase it by 20 percent by the next summit. Currently, trading between the commonwealth nations is estimated at 687 billion dollars and delegates agreed that a target of one trillion dollar intra-trading portfolio must be the target. And also agreed to fight protectionism as part of an effort to expand intra-Commonwealth trade to 2 trillion US dollars by 2030.
There is no doubt that the Commonwealth has the potential, and the responsibility, to take a leading role in the advancement of global trade and business. Indeed, no other organisation has the geographical and cultural diversity, while giving all nations an equal role, an equal voice and an equal standing. Another important issue raised at the summit was on Climate Change. This global challenge was picked to be tackled by Leaders of the commonwealth. For now all nations of the Commonwealth has ratified the Paris Agreement on climate change and every member state is united behind its highest ambition of pursuing efforts to limit the increase in global average temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Member states’ action to corporate to salvage and protect the oceans from deterioration by launching the “Commonwealth Blue Charter’ and the “Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance” which aim at tackling the scourge of plastic pollution is laudable. This is because almost every nation is faced with the challenge of ocean pollution. Indications are that this action would bring sanity to mankind’s attitude towards the oceans. Profoundly, some member states have shown commitment towards this to ensure a breakthrough in the battle to save the oceans. For instance, Papua New Guinea has banned plastic bags. Belize will ban plastic bags, forks, spoons and other single use items by 2019 while New Zealand has also announced a ban on micro beads, which will come into effect in June, this year. The Bahamas is to ban plastic bags this year and the UK has pledged to ban plastic straws, stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds.
For the first, security was a central theme of the leaders’ meeting. Their demonstration to resolve to stand together in defence of the rules based international system, and in defiance of those who threaten the very security of the world needs to be taken seriously by all nations. At the Summit, the Commonwealth showed that it would play its part in a renewed international effort to uphold the global norms that say these abhorrent weapons should never, ever be used. Leaders expressed their unanimous opposition to the use of these weapons – and their commitment to strengthen the effective implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. This is to ensure the total security and freedom of citizens. The leaders acknowledged the problem of Malaria within some member states and pledged to halve Malaria across the Commonwealth by 2023. Women issues were also held in high attention when Heads of Government of the commonwealth put in place measures to address systemic barriers to women’s full and equal participation in the economy including increasing opportunities for women to trade internationally and supporting the growth of more women-owned business. The return of The Gambia into the commonwealth is welcoming news by all reasons. What arguably was a contentious issue was the unpopular acclamation of His Royal Highness Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales as the head of the Commonwealth.
By and large, the summit demonstrated that the Commonwealth is united not only by a common history but by a common future indeed, a future in which member states work together for the benefit of all our citizens and for the wider world.
BY NANA SIFA TWUM, A MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT BASED IN THE U.K.
Paramount among these were the urgent need to find means to development and sustain the oceans, intra-Commonwealth trade, sharing of ideas and supporting each other especially the 31 smaller countries within the organisation. The Heads of government concluded that member states must galvanize intra-commonwealth trading activities to increase it by 20 percent by the next summit. Currently, trading between the commonwealth nations is estimated at 687 billion dollars and delegates agreed that a target of one trillion dollar intra-trading portfolio must be the target. And also agreed to fight protectionism as part of an effort to expand intra-Commonwealth trade to 2 trillion US dollars by 2030.
There is no doubt that the Commonwealth has the potential, and the responsibility, to take a leading role in the advancement of global trade and business. Indeed, no other organisation has the geographical and cultural diversity, while giving all nations an equal role, an equal voice and an equal standing. Another important issue raised at the summit was on Climate Change. This global challenge was picked to be tackled by Leaders of the commonwealth. For now all nations of the Commonwealth has ratified the Paris Agreement on climate change and every member state is united behind its highest ambition of pursuing efforts to limit the increase in global average temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Member states’ action to corporate to salvage and protect the oceans from deterioration by launching the “Commonwealth Blue Charter’ and the “Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance” which aim at tackling the scourge of plastic pollution is laudable. This is because almost every nation is faced with the challenge of ocean pollution. Indications are that this action would bring sanity to mankind’s attitude towards the oceans. Profoundly, some member states have shown commitment towards this to ensure a breakthrough in the battle to save the oceans. For instance, Papua New Guinea has banned plastic bags. Belize will ban plastic bags, forks, spoons and other single use items by 2019 while New Zealand has also announced a ban on micro beads, which will come into effect in June, this year. The Bahamas is to ban plastic bags this year and the UK has pledged to ban plastic straws, stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds.
For the first, security was a central theme of the leaders’ meeting. Their demonstration to resolve to stand together in defence of the rules based international system, and in defiance of those who threaten the very security of the world needs to be taken seriously by all nations. At the Summit, the Commonwealth showed that it would play its part in a renewed international effort to uphold the global norms that say these abhorrent weapons should never, ever be used. Leaders expressed their unanimous opposition to the use of these weapons – and their commitment to strengthen the effective implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. This is to ensure the total security and freedom of citizens. The leaders acknowledged the problem of Malaria within some member states and pledged to halve Malaria across the Commonwealth by 2023. Women issues were also held in high attention when Heads of Government of the commonwealth put in place measures to address systemic barriers to women’s full and equal participation in the economy including increasing opportunities for women to trade internationally and supporting the growth of more women-owned business. The return of The Gambia into the commonwealth is welcoming news by all reasons. What arguably was a contentious issue was the unpopular acclamation of His Royal Highness Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales as the head of the Commonwealth.
By and large, the summit demonstrated that the Commonwealth is united not only by a common history but by a common future indeed, a future in which member states work together for the benefit of all our citizens and for the wider world.
BY NANA SIFA TWUM, A MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT BASED IN THE U.K.
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