Latest content: Social development

Commonwealth countries have been told to reform laws restricting press freedom and to encourage media to work freely on all issues of public importance.

A Commonwealth handbook launched today will help East African judicial officers proactively handle cases of violence against women and girls (VAWG), which affects up to one in three women in their lifetime.

Senior judges and officials have urged leaders to work with judiciary and the civil society to remove discriminatory gender laws and introduce equal rights in the legal system. 

The Secretary-General has outlined how sport can be harnessed to boost international development by “changing perceptions and altering attitudes”.

An enhanced focus on policy reform and scaling access to sport for development programmes will maximise the sport’s contribution to the sustainable development goals.

Ministers have welcomed the Commonwealth’s “timely” intervention to assist St Kitts and Nevis in developing community dialogues as part of the Government’s “holistic approach to crime reduction”.

An innovation workshop in the Seychelles is spurring the transformation of the Commonwealth into a more connected network of countries ready to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.

Born out of the Commonwealth’s recognition of an SDG implementation deficit, the Commonwealth in collaboration with the Government of Malta and the Small States Centre of Excellence, will host the Commonwealth’s inaugural “Award for Excellence in SDG Implementation” on 26-27 June in Malta.

Officials from Commonwealth countries in southern Africa are now better equipped to review their national education policies and deliver better quality inclusive education.

The Commonwealth and the International Solar Alliance have agreed to work in partnership to promote the development and scaling-up of solar power within member countries common to both organisations

A Commonwealth workshop has been held for 45 practitioners in Namibia responsible for delivering certified youth work courses in Southern Africa.

The Secretary-General has outlined four pillars designed to nurture Commonwealth students into future leaders.

The Sri Lankan cricket team has congratulated the Commonwealth on its Peace at the Crease initiative

At the annual Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting in Geneva on Sunday, ministers discussed the need to prioritise women, youth, people with disabilities and vulnerable groups, in their ongoing push towards universal health coverage (UHC).

Applications are now open to attend a workshop in Cameroon on the participation of women in preventing and countering violent extremism

Commonwealth ministers of health will meet this Sunday, 19 May in Geneva, Switzerland to discuss how to accelerate universal health coverage (UHC) in their countries, in order to safeguard vulnerable populations.

A new agreement between the Commonwealth and the Government of Malta will promote the sharing of knowledge and solutions to strengthen the voluntary sector in member countries.

The Commonwealth hosted a partner’s forum at this week’s World Press Freedom Day conference in Addis Ababa to discuss threats to the electoral process from information and communication technology.

Teachers and pupils at a school in Zambia have been celebrating the opening of a new classroom thanks to donations from law conference delegates.Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland officially opened the new facility at the Linda Community School in the small village of Livingstone, Zambia.

An all-female team won the 4th Commonwealth Debate on Sport, arguing that “intentional action” is needed to scale sport’s impact on sustainable development. The debate was on the contribution of sport to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) being limited by a current skills and knowledge gap.

Two teams of experts, athletes and youth leaders will face off at the Annual Commonwealth Debate on Sport and Sustainable Development.

The Ombudsman of Namibia has convened a roundtable on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) with support from the Commonwealth.

Commonwealth countries must rethink their approach to delivering public services if sustainable development is to be achieved, according to the Commonwealth Secretary-General.