"... our aim is to achieve the freest possible flow of international trade on terms fair and equitable to all, taking into account the special requirements of the developing countries.... Singapore Declaration 1971
The Commonwealth accounts for a fifth of all world trade, and over the last decade, trade has grown by 50 per cent, to a current total of £3 trillion per year. Commonwealth bodies, such as the Commonwealth Business Council and the Commonwealth Secretariat, support member countries by providing them with training, advice and information on regional and global trade matters, including trade policies, agreements, and negotiations and the development of infrastructure, particularly roads, railways and port facilities.
Latest News
Wasted milk is equal to gas emissions from 20,000 cars
May 18, 2012Waste milk creates a carbon footprint equivalent to thousands of car exhausts, according to a study that highlights the environmental costs of inefficient farming and the aggressive marketing of supermarket food. Scientists have calculated that the 360,000 tonnes of waste milk that is poured down British drains each year creates greenhouse gases equivalent to 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide...
May 17, 2012
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have played an important role in South Asia and are a critical source for employment creation as well as income generation. This publication aims to propose practical policy interventions for improving business environments in three South Asian countries.
Africa Progress Panel calls on African governments to drive towards Millennium Development Goals
May 14, 2012African leaders urged to launch 'big push' as inequality, marginalisation and disenfranchisement threaten MDG progress. The Africa Progress Panel, chaired by Kofi Annan, the former UN secretary general, said while the continent had made notable gains in the past decade, its record on poverty does not match its overall economic growth.
Groundwater in Africa: Harnessing the hidden sea for climate adaptation
May 07, 2012A DFID-funded study provides new information on the extent and potential of groundwater as a way to support development and help buffer the impact of climate change. The aim of the study was to improve our understanding of the twin impacts of climate change and increasing demand on groundwater resources on the continent.
Seychelles and India - trusted development partners
May 03, 2012The President of the Republic of India, HE Mrs. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, has announced India’s financial package of a Line of Credit of US$50 million and a grant of US$25 million for Seychelles, following a meeting with the President of the Republic of Seychelles, HE Mr. James Alix Michel.
Commonwealth and UNCTAD explore new trade opportunities for less developed countries
Apr 27, 2012Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Ransford Smith has described the rise of the world’s Dynamic Developing Economies (DDE) as a ‘defining period’, which could benefit both emerging economies and the world’s poorest and most vulnerable countries.
