We appreciate the work the Eminent Persons Group has done on looking at the future of the Commonwealth, particularly there recognition of the need to Commonwealth Trade Ministers meeting. However, I have concerns that some of the key issues are not being addressed, particularly the role of the Commonwealth in advancing economic and social development.
Commonwealth Heads of Government specifically targeted these goals as new priorities in their 1997 Edinburgh Commonwealth Economic Declaration "Promoting Shared Prosperity", and set up the Commonwealth Business Council and biannual Commonwealth Business Forum to advance this. As they concluded in their 1997 Declaration, the growth and investment agenda requires "vigorous" collective efforts if it is to be advanced.
I would encourage the EPG to include a focus on 3 specific areas, in their final draft.
There should be specific mention in the proposed Commonwealth Charter of – promoting economic prosperity and growth through joint business and government partnerships. This would result in the creation of millions of new jobs, SMEs and cross Commonwealth investment which would be of benefit to all commonwealth citizens.
A clear formal cooperation mechanism between on the one hand the Secretariat, and on the other the CBC and other similar, large Commonwealth organisations should be included in the final draft. In order to deliver improved technical assistance and development programmes to support the economic development focus.
And that the achievements of CBC and CBF be formally recognised by EPG, CBF has become a uniquely valued and important part of the Heads' programme and is now seen as an integral part of CHOGM. CBC itself has become the second largest Commonwealth organisation, without any core government funding, and has raised some £30m for its own work since inception. In the last two years, 25 member state governments have worked directly with the CBC on a range of investment promotion and policy exercises linked to SME development, infrastructure, energy, and health and job creation.
I strongly support the EPG’s focus on political good governance. However, the EPG report is currently incomplete and unbalanced as it lacks a serious treatment of economic development issues.
I hope the EPG will take these points to heart, making the Commonwealth Relevant for today means making it focus on issues that are on the minds of Heads of Government, day to day. Namely, job creation, investment, business development and economic growth as well as the Good Governance and Human Rights. The Commonwealth should give equal focus to both governance and economic as they are 2 sides of the same coin.
Showing posts with label EPG. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EPG. Show all posts
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Friday, 25 March 2011
Eminent Persons Group's Recommendations
While I welcome the Eminent Persons Group's recommendations on the need for reform and greater collaboration between commonwealth agencies, what was not in the report was a great disappointment.
The report did not specify what reforms need to be conducted to ensure the association stays relevant in the future and keeps delivering for all 54 states. The statement on collaboration between agencies and Secretariat, fails to elaborate on the quality and type of technical assistance, or on the delivery of technical assistance through the Commonwealth's Key agencies outside the Secretariat. Delivering though other agencies could be key mechanism to reduce the cost of delivering technical assistance, improving is quality and reducing duplication and redundancy within the Commonwealth family. This would allow the size of Secretariat to be reduced while increasing the quality of scope of the Technical Assistance provided.
It is equally disappointing that the Eminent Persons did not talk about the Private sector and growth, as I have mentioned before, it is my belief that the Commonwealth works at its very best when giving dual focus to both the Harare Declaration on Human Rights and the Edinborough Economic Declaration. And in this time of increased economic hardships in most Commonwealth countries, private sector money is going to be more and more important. It is unlikely Governments are going to put forward large sums of new money given the pressing domestic priorities. Refocusing existing money and mobilising the private sector and other funding sources could be an answer.
As the Eminent Persons Group have said there is now real possibility of the official Commonwealth slowly moving towards the end of the road. I hope the upcoming CHOGM to be held in Perth, Australia in October will give the Association a new beginning. But given the contents of the eminent persons report, I fear it is again going to be tweaking rather than true reform.
The report did not specify what reforms need to be conducted to ensure the association stays relevant in the future and keeps delivering for all 54 states. The statement on collaboration between agencies and Secretariat, fails to elaborate on the quality and type of technical assistance, or on the delivery of technical assistance through the Commonwealth's Key agencies outside the Secretariat. Delivering though other agencies could be key mechanism to reduce the cost of delivering technical assistance, improving is quality and reducing duplication and redundancy within the Commonwealth family. This would allow the size of Secretariat to be reduced while increasing the quality of scope of the Technical Assistance provided.
It is equally disappointing that the Eminent Persons did not talk about the Private sector and growth, as I have mentioned before, it is my belief that the Commonwealth works at its very best when giving dual focus to both the Harare Declaration on Human Rights and the Edinborough Economic Declaration. And in this time of increased economic hardships in most Commonwealth countries, private sector money is going to be more and more important. It is unlikely Governments are going to put forward large sums of new money given the pressing domestic priorities. Refocusing existing money and mobilising the private sector and other funding sources could be an answer.
As the Eminent Persons Group have said there is now real possibility of the official Commonwealth slowly moving towards the end of the road. I hope the upcoming CHOGM to be held in Perth, Australia in October will give the Association a new beginning. But given the contents of the eminent persons report, I fear it is again going to be tweaking rather than true reform.
Friday, 29 October 2010
The future of the Commonwealth
Over the last couple of weeks I have had discussions with both the Chair in Office of the Commonwealth, the Rt Hon Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Prime Minister, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group on the future direction the Commonwealth should take.
The EPG was set up by the Heads of Government in Trinidad and Tobago at CHOGM last November to discuss the future of the Commonwealth and sharpen the impact, strengthen the networks, and raise the profile of the Commonwealth. I believe that both the roles of the Chair in Office and the Secretary General should be expanded to enhance coordination between the Commonwealth’s Key Agencies.
Also I feel the Commonwealth should take greater advantage of the excellent work it’s done on good governance and human rights since its founding, and now think about how to convert those successes into economic prosperity. By giving equal attention to the Harare Principles on good governance and the Edinburgh Economic Declaration, the Commonwealth can do more to highlight the link between good governance and increased investment. We feel that this link can be further strengthened by the creation of a commonwealth development fund that would invest in countries that show the best progress in good governance.
This new approach could make the Commonwealth truly relevant for tomorrow, as it will allow the association to directly focus on the areas of greatest importance to all heads of Government (developed or developing); jobs and growth, while still maintain the Commonwealth’s historic focus on good governance and human rights.
The EPG was set up by the Heads of Government in Trinidad and Tobago at CHOGM last November to discuss the future of the Commonwealth and sharpen the impact, strengthen the networks, and raise the profile of the Commonwealth. I believe that both the roles of the Chair in Office and the Secretary General should be expanded to enhance coordination between the Commonwealth’s Key Agencies.
Also I feel the Commonwealth should take greater advantage of the excellent work it’s done on good governance and human rights since its founding, and now think about how to convert those successes into economic prosperity. By giving equal attention to the Harare Principles on good governance and the Edinburgh Economic Declaration, the Commonwealth can do more to highlight the link between good governance and increased investment. We feel that this link can be further strengthened by the creation of a commonwealth development fund that would invest in countries that show the best progress in good governance.
This new approach could make the Commonwealth truly relevant for tomorrow, as it will allow the association to directly focus on the areas of greatest importance to all heads of Government (developed or developing); jobs and growth, while still maintain the Commonwealth’s historic focus on good governance and human rights.
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