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Statement by The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth on her concern over the ongoing civil unrest in the Kingdom of Eswatini and the Commonwealth’s readiness to work with the Government and the people of Eswatini, as well as regional and international partners, to help resolve the situation.

After three years in the making, last week the ����̽�� launched its new Voluntary Information and Price-Sharing database (VIPSD). One-third of the world’s population lacks access to essential medicines, with most of them living in poor countries, while rising prices of new drugs are becoming a challenge in wealthy states. And, since the global Covid-19 pandemic, the urgent need for essential medicines has intensified.

At their annual meeting, Commonwealth Finance Ministers were urged to take action to change the current development finance architecture, enhance access to finance for countries vulnerable to climate change and address debt sustainability.

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’.

This week, Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC, will push for bold and swift action in supporting small and vulnerable states to fight the global interlinked crises of climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and their resulting economic fallout.

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.

Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC, shares a video message to mark International Day of Peace, which is observed globally on 21 September.

The ����̽�� and NO MORE Foundation are launching a new “Join The Chorus” initiative to help the 54 member countries tackle an alarming rise in domestic and sexual violence during the COVID-19 pandemic while urging leaders to make prevention a top priority in rebuilding efforts.

Foreign Affairs Ministers from across the Commonwealth met yesterday for the 21st annual Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting (CFAMM). The meeting was held virtually for the second year in a row due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

IPS spoke to Commonwealth Secretary-General the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC about the Association’s climate initiatives, the unique challenges faced by small states, its focus on gender mainstreaming and access to financing for critical adaptation and mitigation projects.

During a visit to The Bahamas this week, the Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland called for urgent action to ensure improved climate resilience of small states and promised to amplify the concerns of small and other vulnerable states at the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow this November.

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.

Commonwealth Secretary-General has attended the inauguration ceremony of Zambia’s seventh President Hakainde Hichilema in Lusaka.

Statement by The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth

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.

I cannot pretend to know or fully understand how it feels to be a young person in 2021.

At a virtual ceremony today, the winner of the first ‘Christof Heyns Memorial Commonwealth Prize’ was announced during the 13th Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition.

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. 

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has commended the signing of an official peace pact in Lusaka, ahead of the 12th August polls.

Commonwealth countries are estimated to have lost up to US$345 billion worth of trade in 2020, including $60 billion in intra-Commonwealth trade, according to 2021 Commonwealth Trade Review on “Energising Commonwealth Trade in a Digital World: Paths to Recovery Post-COVID”.

����̽�� Secretary-General, The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC, has called on political leaders in Samoa to uphold the rule of law and adhere to the values and principles set out in the Commonwealth Charter.

The Coalition for Peaceful Elections in Zambia has launched an initiative encouraging political party leaders and candidates in the upcoming elections to commit to peaceful elections by signing a peace pledge and making a joint public commitment reaffirming non-violence and a credible electoral process.