Latest content: Social development

As the OMICRON variant threatens a wave of global havoc, the 1.8 billion young people worldwide remain vulnerable to the persisting impact of Covid-19, and support from Youth Workers is needed now more than ever.

Is it possible to eradicate discrimination in sport? If we rewind a few months to the abhorrent racism displayed at the Euro cup finals it could seem like a futile pursuit.

Youth workers across the Commonwealth united at the Secretariat’s virtual world café to discuss hope, critical pedagogies, and the continuing relevance of Paulo Freire, in the year that marks the 100th anniversary of his birth.

During London Global Cancer Week (15-19 November), the Commonwealth Secretariat hosted two events to shine a spotlight on cancer, one of the leading causes of morbidity and death in the world.

The Commonwealth Secretariat Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Unit has held a series of intergovernmental webinars as part of its continued work on preventing terrorist use of the internet.

At UNCTAD15 in Barbados, Commonwealth Secretary-General spoke on a hybrid virtual and in-person roundtable on the theme of ‘Regional integration for a resilient, inclusive and sustainable future’.

Fifteen individuals and groups have been recognised for making a significant impact on communities, countries and regions of the Commonwealth, by creating innovative solutions to pressing development challenges.

Commonwealth Secretary-General The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC has called on G20 members to urgently work with the Commonwealth and other partners, particularly the World Health Organization and World Trade Organization, to urgently put in place a robust plan to vaccinate the world’s 42 smallest states and shield them from COVID-19.

The positive effects of a Secretariat-organised summit aimed at Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) is being felt across the Commonwealth.

The 2020 Global Youth Development Index reveals that the conditions of young people have improved around the world by 3.1 per cent between 2010 and 2018, but the progress remains slow.

Covid-19 has been an earthquake along the already fraught fault lines of global education. The result has been a deep chasm into which the most vulnerable have fallen: 1.6 billion children were out of education at the height of school closures.

As we prepare to celebrate Nelson Mandela International Day - a day to honour the legacy of the much-loved icon - the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC Secretary-General of the Commonwealth invited UNFPA’s Executive Director, Dr Natalia Kanem, to discuss the values of championing social justice, volunteering and community service. 

Today, Commonwealth Secretary-General Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC announced the ‘Christof Heyns Memorial Commonwealth Prize’ during the 13th Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition.

In the early months of 2020, governments across the globe stood at their podiums to tell their populations that a new and dangerous communicable disease was forcing them to shut their borders and lockdown their communities.

London Saturday 26 June 2021: Today on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, Commonwealth Secretary-General The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC calls on all Commonwealth countries to stand in solidarity with victims and survivors of torture and to act by ratifying and fully implementing the UN Convention against Torture.

A new tracker has been launched to help Commonwealth countries monitor progress towards halving malaria cases by 2023 and ultimately ending the disease by 2030. 

Youth workers used the words “challenging”, “resilient” and “hopeful” to describe the future of their work after COVID-19 at a Virtual Commonwealth Café.