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Co-operationCommonwealth Youth Credit Initiative(CYCI) launch in Gujarat India.Closing the gapAnother wayAmongst its members, the Commonwealthhas some of the richest andpoorest nations in the world. It has someof the fastest-growing economies, butalso some of the world’s smallest states.This diversity equips the Commonwealthwith considerable expertise, but itsbudget for the alleviation of poverty isvery small, particularly compared toother specialist organisations.The Commonwealth, therefore, is nota big player in providing cash for aid oreconomic development. Instead, as inother aspects of its work, it tends tooperate behind the scenes, advising andguiding member nations, and helpingthem obtain the support they need,often directly from other member nations.An engineer with hard-hat andsurvey equipment in Dominica.Programmes and initiativesThe Commonwealth, through its manyaffiliated organisations, runs a largenumber of development programmesand initiatives for both the public andprivate sectors, helping member statesimprove their efficiency in finance,manufacturing, and farming, andadvising on ways of diversifying exportsand attracting new investment.Fast track ➤ At the request of theKenyan authorities, the CommonwealthSecretariat undertook a study of theorganisation of the customs facilities atNairobi airport and at the docks inMombasa. Recommendations from thiswork led to the time taken for goods topass through customs falling from anaverage of eight to two days.Support for agricultural research andtraining programmes is an importantpart of the Commonwealth’s work,using its professional links andnetworks to disseminate informationand good practice to help farmers moreeffectively manage the effects ofclimate change.The size and extent of the Commonwealthalso enables it to createpartnerships with other major internationalorganisations and to have a directimpact on world opinion. One of thebest examples of this is the pioneeringwork of the Commonwealth on debtrelief for the world’s poorest nations.It was at a meeting of CommonwealthFinance Ministers in Barbados in 1987,that debt relief was first discussed.Commonwealth Foreign Ministers andcivil society groups continued to lobbyfor the idea during the 1990s and,because of their initiative, more than$110m of debt has been removed fromsome of the poorest states, releasingfunds for health, education and otherimprovements.New businesses ● Commonwealthsupport is particularly directed at thedevelopment of small and medium sizebusinesses and helping to improveprospects for younger people.Small states ● Thirty twoCommonwealth countries are classifiedas small states. These are technicallydefined as having a population of 1.5million people or less. With limitedresources, small states face particularchallenges. However, as members ofthe Commonwealth, they have anequal voice with larger member states,and a major international organisationas a platform for representation.Starting off ➤ The CommonwealthYouth Credit Initiative helps youngpeople start businesses by offeringthem small loans and business training.The scheme has helped thousands ofbusinesses get off the ground. Onebusiness owner, a young woman fromAhmadabad, in Gujarat, in India, said:"I didn't know I could ever dosomething useful. My family is veryproud of me. I have money over everyweek, after making the repayments.I put some of it back into mylaundrette and most of the rest goes tosupport my children".Help and guidance ➤ Under presentinternational law, coastal states controlthe undersea resources up to 200 milesfrom their shore. However, the UnitedNations’, has recently given countriesthe opportunity to apply to extend thislimit to give themselves rights over amuch wider area, if they can show thatthe national natural landmass extendsbeyond this limit.Making a case of this kind requiresdetailed scientific surveys and analysis,which small nations may find difficultto organise. To date, theCommonwealth has helped 15countries lodge claims for additionalareas of the seabed, giving greateraccess to mineral deposits and othermarine resources, and providing anopportunity for greater long termeconomic development.24A practical guide to the Commonwealth ➤ Co-operation25Sierra Leone Singapore Solomon IslandsSouth Africa
Co-operationHealth andeducationThe need for goodhealth carePeople in Commonwealth developingcountries often suffer as a result of poorhealth care. With relatively littleinvestment in public hospitals andmedical staff, patients either fail to seekhelp, or are required to travel longdistances for treatment. The problemcan be heightened by the loss oftrained medical staff overseas. One wayin which the Commonwealth hasworked to address this has beenthrough the development of a code ofpractice for the international recruitmentof health workers, which aims to protectthe most vulnerable states from theunmanaged exodus of skilled staff.The challenge of HIV and AIDS ●More than 65 million people havebecome infected with HIV since thepandemic began more than 20 yearsago; and more than 25 million of thesehave died. Today, about 60 per cent ofthe world’s HIV cases are amongstCommonwealth citizens, and dealingwith this is a major challenge.Through advice and training obtainedfrom Commonwealth programmes,government officials in a number ofCommonwealth countries have beenable to negotiate better access toantiretroviral drugs, which slow downthe progress of the disease. Today,almost 30 per cent of Commonwealthcitizens requiring antiretroviral therapyare receiving it, compared with just twoper cent in 2003.Children receiving dietary supplements froma mobile clinic in Garissa district, Kenya.Positive living ➤ The CommonwealthYoung Ambassadors for Positive LivingProgramme enables young peopleliving with HIV to share theirexperiences with others, and creategreater awareness. There are nownational and regional Programmes inAfrica, Asia and the Caribbean,particularly targeting young people inthe 15-29 age group.With support from the Secretariatand Foundation, the CommonwealthHIV and AIDS Action Group is workingto reduce the stigma anddiscrimination often associated withpeople living with HIV and AIDS.Crisis in non-communicablediseases ● Heart disease, diabetesand other non-communicable diseasescause half of all deaths worldwide,often tipping vulnerable familiesbelow the poverty line. In 2009Commonwealth Heads of Governmentcalled for a worldwide strategicapproach to monitor the diseases andaddress their causes and repercussions.The importanceof educationEducation is one of the most effectivelong-term ways of raising a nation’sstandard of living. It is a central priorityfor the Commonwealth, which works inmany ways to enhance the lives ofyoung people, in school, at work, and inhigher education, see page 11.Millennium Development Goals ●In September 2000, under the auspicesof the UN, leaders of the world’snations committed their countries to along-term programme of help for thepoorest people in the world. Theirdeclaration took the form of eightMillennium Development Goals, to beachieved by a target date of 2015.One of the Goals is the provision ofuniversal primary education; another isgender equality. With an estimated 30million of its children not attendingprimary school, and a disproportionatenumber of these being girls, theCommonwealth is an active partner inworking to achieve these aims.Closing the gap ➤ Nearly 30Commonwealth education networkscome together under the banner ofthe Commonwealth Consortium forEducation. The Consortium drawstogether voices from across theCommonwealth to makerecommendations to the three-yearlymeetings of the CommonwealthEducation Ministers.Meeting the demand ● Bringingmore children into school requiresgreater funding, more teachingresources, and the creation of anincreased number of qualified staff.The Commonwealth works with a largenumber of groups helping memberstates to address these issues.The Commonwealth of Learning ➤Based in Vancouver, and created by theCommonwealth Heads of Government,the Commonwealth of Learningspecialises in open and distance learningthrough information and communicationstechnology. Its school-focussed projectsinclude teacher development, teachereducation resources, and the electronicnetworking of schools and teachertraining colleges.Gender equality ● Equal access toeducation for boys and girls, and theequal treatment within schools, areimportant ways of improving the livesof both individuals and entirecommunities. The Commonwealthworks in partnership with a wide rangeof organisations to help achieve thisMillennium Development Goal.Pupils atBudo Juniorschool in thedistrict ofWakiso.A key initiative is the Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships Plan which, forfifty years, has enabled students to undertake courses overseas. Many go on tomake significant contributions towards their areas of specialism.26Sri LankaSwaziland Tonga Trinidadand TobagoA practical guide to the Commonwealth ➤ Co-operation27
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