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Commonwealth Trade Ministers will gather in Windhoek, Namibia, in June 2025 for their biennial Ministerial Meeting at a tumultuous time for global trade. Formidable headwinds are buffeting a global trading system already reeling on the back of the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, escalating geopolitical tensions, increasing fragmentation of the global economy, and disruption and destabilisation of global supply chains. An alarming trend of rising protectionism – headlined by the current United States administration’s tariff policies, escalating trade tensions and the prospect of a protracted trade war between the United States and China – threatens to further undermine the stability of the global trading order.

With the deadline for countries to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions fast approaching, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, urged business leaders to be ambitious in shaping the future of the planet.

A blog by Collin Zhuawu, Acting Head and Adviser, Multilateral Trade, International Trade Policy Team, °®Âþµº.

The °®Âþµº and UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) today hosted a roundtable on gender and energy security at Marlborough House in London.

A blog by Collin Zhuawu, Economic Adviser on Multilateral Trade in the International Trade Policy Section of the °®Âþµº, exploring the European Union’s environmental agenda and its implications for Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries.

Commonwealth Secretary-General, Hon Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, speaking at the 2025 Commonwealth Trade and Investment Summit

Sierra Leone has implemented Meridian, an advanced °®Âþµº software, to better manage its public debt portfolio.

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, will join Caribbean leaders at the upcoming Caribbean Community (CARICOM) meeting to find solutions to pressing regional challenges, including climate resilience, economic development, and food security.

A blog by Dr. Benjamin Kwasi Addom, Adviser, Agriculture & Fisheries Trade Policy, Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda, °®Âþµº.

This blog is the third in a series exploring effective approaches to data management. The first blog focused on the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and its implications for Commonwealth countries, while the second examined ‘Building national data infrastructures through a bottom-up approach.’

In this entry, we explore the significance of NAgDI in empowering Commonwealth nations to build shared agricultural data infrastructures, ensuring compliance with global trade regulations while fostering economic resilience and data sovereignty.

This blog is the second in a series of three exploring effective approaches to data management. The first blog focused on the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and its implications for Commonwealth countries, highlighting the importance of a coordinated national approach to data management.

In this entry, we delve deeper into the necessity of a bottom-up approach to harness global data investments and build robust national data infrastructures.

A blog by Dr. Benjamin Kwasi Addom, Adviser, Agriculture & Fisheries Trade Policy, Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda, °®Âþµº.

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, made a strong case for continued investment and partnership at the UK-Caribbean Trade and Investment Forum. The event was organised by DMA Invest in partnership with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, the UK Department for Business & Trade, and UK Export Finance.

The Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda (CCA) reinforced its commitment to advancing trade digitalisation and facilitating the digital transformation of its member states in the Caribbean at the Caribbean Telecommunications Union’s (CTU) ICT Week 2024, held in St Kitts and Nevis from 30 September to 4 October 2024.

Today, on the margins of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa, Commonwealth leaders gathered for a side event to unveil the Commonwealth Investment Action Plan. The plan aims to boost trade and investment across Commonwealth member states while enhancing the economic resilience of small and vulnerable nations.

The Commonwealth awarded the winners of the Think Trade, Think Green: Commonwealth Innovative Youth Essay competition today. The competition challenged young researchers and students to explore how trade and trade policy can tackle the climate crisis and drive a resilient, inclusive transformation across the Commonwealth.

Strengthening Food Security through Trade, Investment, and Resilient Supply Chains

The °®Âþµº today launched the 2024 Commonwealth Trade Review, highlighting the critical role of trade and investment in bolstering food security across its 56 member states. Released just ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa, the report reveals record-breaking figures in intra-Commonwealth trade, while providing key insights into the future of food security.