I note and welcome the 9 July 2020 statement from the Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. The Hon. Ralph Gonsalves, which called on all stakeholders to respect the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Guyana’s final court of appeal. In accordance with the […]
The deadline to enter the 2021 Commonwealth education awards for good practice has been extended to 31 August 2020. The awards are open to exceptional education institutions, teachers and school leaders leading innovative learning and teaching projects. They can enter as many as six categories: Rethinking education for innovation Rethinking education for work Rethinking education […]
Leaders and representatives from across the Commonwealth have today held a virtual meeting to share solutions and ways of working that can help to combat the impacts of COVID-19. Many member countries are facing unprecedented challenges due to the global health emergency and its economic and social ramifications. These issues combined with the long-term threat […]
The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund had called for the suspension of loan repayments owed by the poorest countries of the world, to help them manage the severe impact of the pandemic. In response, G20 members agreed to suspend debt servicing temporarily for 77 eligible countries, including 30 from the Commonwealth. To help these countries […]
Countries’ response to Covid-19, their long-term development and the meeting of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are all threatened by the “invisible infection” of corruption, the Commonwealth Secretary-General has warned. Speaking to the annual conference of the Commonwealth Caribbean Association of Integrity Commissions and Anti-Corruption Bodies (CCAICACB), Patricia Scotland laid bare the devastating impact criminal acts […]
The Commonwealth Secretary-General is urging governments to ensure their countries’ post-COVID economic recoveries are environmentally sustainable and safe for the ocean. Forty-seven of the Commonwealth’s 54 member countries have a coastline while 25 are either small island developing states or ‘big ocean states’ relying heavily on the ocean for food and income. On World Oceans Day (8 June), Secretary-General […]
Cricket legends will play a ‘Peace at the Crease’ charity cricket match in Barbados on 17 October. Proceeds will support activities to promote peace and tolerance in disadvantaged communities across the Commonwealth. Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, and Barbados Cricket Association president, Conde Riley, announced the event on Saturday. The match coincides with the 15th United Nations […]
By Patricia Scotland, Commonwealth Secretary-General Trade wars, protectionism, and nationalist rhetoric are combining to weave the possibility of a nightmare debt crisis that could be worse than any previously experienced. Global borrowing is now at the highest levels since the 1950s – and history suggests we should take this as a warning that a debt […]
The Secretary-General has outlined how sport can be harnessed to boost international development by “changing perceptions and altering attitudes”. Speaking at the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly in Kigali, Rwanda, Patricia Scotland said the “wide appeal and reach” of sport can be used to “accelerate progress” in areas such as gender equality and political inclusivity. […]
