Latest content: Social development

3 October 2023 to 3 October 2023
Event
High-Level Fireside Chat
Hybrid Event/Marlborough House, the Commonwealth Secretariat

Annually, the UK celebrates October as Black History Month. The main aims of Black History Month are to commemorate the achievements and contributions of Black people to British Society and the world, and to educate the public and build awareness of Black history.
The Commonwealth Secretariat, in partnership with UNESCO, has previewed a global report containing new data on the contribution of sport to sustainable development, with key metrics on worldwide activity levels, provision of physical activity in schools, gender and investment in sporting provision.
Read news - 'Investment in sport can be a catalyst for transformation': Commonwealth Secretary-General launches policy paper on first global sport impact report
The Global Sport and SDG Impact Report will be the first global baseline report on the global data available to evidence the contribution that physical education, physical activity and sport make to sustainable development. This policy brief offers a preview of that report, explaining its methodology and indicators, and highlighting areas in which measurable progress has been made and where gaps in the evidence have been found.
Read publication - The Global Sport and Sustainable Development Goals Impact Report
Over two days, Commonwealth Education Ministers, senior officials and other stakeholders met to chart the way forward for education in the 56 member countries. The education ministers met at Marlborough House in London for the Commonwealth Education Ministerial Action Group (CEMAG) on Thursday, 11 May 2023.
Read news - Ministers and senior officials agree on strategies to accelerate progress towards education goals
After several years of online meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, last week, members of the Commonwealth Advisory Committee on Health (CACH) met in person for the first time since 2019 to discuss and advance key areas of health priorities ahead of the 35th Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting (CHMM) next month.
Read news - Commonwealth Advisory Committee convenes its first in-person meeting since 2019 ahead of Health Ministers Meeting
The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, is in Papua New Guinea this week where she met with Prime Minister the Hon James Marape to discuss issues of mutual interest and strengthen partnerships between the Commonwealth and Papua New Guinea. The Prime Minister and Secretary-General also had fruitful discussion on gender issues, climate action and youth empowerment.
Read news - Commonwealth Secretary-General visits Papua New Guinea to strengthen partnerships and encourage action on gender issues
As countries recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and face the compounding challenges of global inflation, debt, climate change and sociopolitical scenarios, there is a need to explore new investment strategies to accelerate economic development, build resilience and balance competing environmental, economic and social pressures. In this context, the concept of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) as a framework for sustainable growth has gained new relevance. This paper discusses the potential benefits of ESG in terms of enabling sustainable economic growth in the Commonwealth, including possible technical assistance, capacity building and policy development on ESG for public debt management and improved public sector sustainability, including collaboration with International Financial Institutions financing standards.
Read publication - Environmental, Social and Governance Practices for Value Creation in the Commonwealth