Commonwealth leaders introduced the Commonwealth Investment Action Plan this week in Samoa. The initiative is designed to enhance trade and investment among Commonwealth member nations while strengthening the economic resilience of small and vulnerable countries.
The event, organized by UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, featured prominent figures including Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and foreign ministers from Australia, Jamaica, Rwanda, Singapore, and Zambia.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland, in her opening address, underscored the significance of collaboration within the Commonwealth to influence future investment. She stated, “The Commonwealth Investment Action Plan is a fulfilment of the mandate given by our Trade Ministers to mobilise investment where it is most urgently needed. We are grateful to the United Kingdom and Malaysia for co-chairing this effort, as we seek to ensure all member countries, particularly the smallest and most vulnerable, attract the necessary finance to transform their economies and build resilience to future shocks.”
This plan builds upon discussions held during the 2023 Commonwealth Trade Ministers Meeting, targeting key challenges faced by many Commonwealth nations—especially developing and small states—regarding securing essential investments to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
Scotland emphasized the urgency of the situation, citing widening infrastructure gaps, climate change challenges, and rising inequality. Additionally, she shared insights from the 2024 Commonwealth Trade Review, which noted substantial progress in intra-Commonwealth trade and investment following the COVID-19 pandemic, with trade between Commonwealth nations reaching USD 854 billion in 2022.
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