Commonwealth Secretariat Research Articles

The Commonwealth is Getting its Second Wind

This article looks forward to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London, April 2018, in light of reflection on the nature of the Commonwealth (‘club, church or beehive?’) and its legacy. Special attention is paid to the significant anniversaries of 2015—Magna Carta, United Nations, end of the Second World War, London Declaration and 50 years of the Commonwealth Secretariat. The author also considers the agendas for CHOGM and the implications for the Commonwealth of Britain’s exit from the European Union (Brexit).

Strengthening National Legal Frameworks to Implement the Paris Agreement

Good climate laws are essential for the successful implementation of the Paris Agreement and its goal of limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels. Such laws are essential because they 'lock-in' policy commitments and help achieve national climate goals. Climate laws can also attract and appropriately regulate domestic and international private investments into low-carbon development. While there has been a positive trend in adopting climate laws worldwide, legal frameworks need to be strengthened at the national level to facilitate and implement more ambitious nationally determined contributions to reach the 1.5°C target. This paper first outlines what amounts to ‘good’ climate laws and why they are important. It then provides an overview of global trends and relevant examples of climate laws in different jurisdictions, and concludes with an introduction to a new tool being developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment), the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Commonwealth Secretariat to support countries to strengthen national legal frameworks to implement the Paris Agreement.

Enabling Youth in Decision Making Through Competent Youth Work

The first primary goals of the Malaysian Youth Policy 2015 is that the youth should be more responsible citizens in initiatives at national, regional, and international levels. This suggests that the youth should therefore be involved in decision making at all levels. And this is where one of the positive assets of Malaysian youth that have been identified is social competency in decision-making. Since those involved in youth work play a role is facilitating the development of the youth, they then have an important role in facilitating the development of this capacity for decision making of the youth. Those in youth work are professionals who work with young people in a range of settings (Commonwealth Secretariat 2012). They can be found in youth clubs, street-based settings, social/welfare services, sports/leisure centres, schools, museums, arts facilities, government agencies, children’s homes, hospitals, among others. Their job roles are diverse from being counselors addressing youth problems to youth development building youth assets in positive youth development, researchers, youth education, and policy makers. All these diverse roles require those in youth work to be equipped with various skill sets guided by theory, best practice, youth principles and values and communication skills. Ultimately those in youth work are in the business of developing youth through which the youth are guided and facilitated to express themselves and become future leaders with decision-making capacities through empowerment. A study was recently conducted to identify the status of youth work practice and the core competencies of Malaysian youth workers for their professionalization. Professionalisation of youth workers is now one of the priorities of the new Malaysian Youth Policy 2015. The study found that Malaysian youth workers have yet to be considered as ‘professionals’ and hence lack the relevant competencies to be professionals. Among the recommendations are competency training for these youth workers, establish professional standards, ethics and practice, and the formation of a youth worker association that will certify and register these professionals in youth work.

The Commonwealth, Gender and Peacekeeping

Reflecting on the strategic commitment outlined in the Plan of Action for Gender Equality (2005–2015) and the priority issues of the Commonwealth Women’s Forum, this article assesses the extent to which the Commonwealth as an institution is supporting troop- and police-contributing member states in addressing the gender imbalance in peacekeeping operations. Drawing on desk-based research, interviews with international policymakers and a statistical analysis of the International Peace Institute Peacekeeping Database, the article first outlines the Commonwealth’s gender and security policy perspective before examining datasets to determine the success of Commonwealth member states in integrating women into uniformed peacekeeping contingents between 2009 and 2015. The article observes that, in spite of a renewed optimism and drive to propel women into leadership positions in politics, the judiciary, public bodies and private companies, security-sector reform and the implementation of pillar one of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 are notably absent from the Commonwealth’s gender agenda. It is argued that this policy gap suggests that national and international security architecture is regarded as an accepted domain of male privilege. A lack of political will among Commonwealth heads of government to mainstream gender equality and facilitate structural transformation of national security organs and a chronically under resourced Commonwealth Secretariat limit the influence of the institution to that of arms-length promoter of international norms on women, peace and security.

Child, early, and forced marriages (CEFM) in the Commonwealth: the role of the judiciary

Forced marriage, especially that involving children, is one of the greatest challenges facing individuals around the world and is integral to the full realization of universal human rights, women’s rights, and the rights of the child. This paper examines the effects of child, early and forced marriages (CEFM) within the Commonwealth, with a specific focus on East Africa, and highlights how to best address the issue using international, regional, and national legal norms and judicial processes currently in place. The East African countries examined are Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania. The paper begins with a general introduction of why combating CEFM is an important topic for consideration by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the efforts being made to address it. The introduction is then followed by the background section which gives a historical overview of CEFM at the global level. The paper defines ‘CEFM’, which is crucial since the definitions often vary depending on how CEFM is worded in respective jurisdictions, followed by CEFM’s manifestation within East Africa. Discussing the history of CEFM often helps one understand the hidden challenges that hinder effective implementation of efforts to counter it. The discussion on hidden challenges illustrates how culture and customs play an important role in the prevalence and acceptance of CEFM, as well its damaging effects on education and health. The rest of the paper examines the legal frameworks in place to address CEFM within the four jurisdictions. This includes examination of international instruments such as the Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration of Marriage to regional instruments such as the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, in an attempt to analyze the legal obligations that arise from these conventions. Considering that the main target audience of this paper are those within the judiciary (most specifically East Africa), it is important also to take a closer look at the national legal frameworks in place, comprising of national constitutions and statutory laws. The paper then concludes with a section on recommendations and finally and most importantly relevant case law in Appendix 1.

THE TRANSFORMATIONAL INITIATIVE OF AFRICA’S LEATHER SECTOR DEPENDENCE FROM COMMODITY TO VALUE CREATED AGRO-BASED PRODUCTS

Africa is currently commodity dependent in its global trade engagement particularly in agro-based sectors where it has strong presence. Therefore, an in depth analysis of the leather industry which is an important component of agri-business in the continent is discussed in this paper. The attempt takes cognizance of its key socio-economic aspects related to unemployment, wealth creation, rural development and gender parity. As such, the need for appropriate transformational strategies as prerequisite to the continent’s sustainable development initiatives are investigated. It is envisaged that these strategies will encompass sustainable models of translating the continent to product dependency and inculcate a diversified approach to the resultant value added products anticipated to have huge potential. The approach is to strengthen Africa’s regional value chain platform as a preamble to the global value chain entry which, for a long time has placed the continent towards commodity dependence. Whilst focusing on the regional value chains, relevant stratums of the leather sector are considered in this paper. This initiative encompasses depiction of Africa’s performance, innovation and developmental strides so far achieved. Major results indicate that low to medium level artisanal skills and long experienced practioners (5-30yrs) consolidates the continent’s strength. In addition, the existence of youthful entrepreneurs (aged 30-49) provides a solid ground for the transformational quest to be pursued in Africa. To actualize on this initiative, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa-Leather and Leather Products Institute (COMESA-LLPI) in collaboration with The Common Wealth Secretariat (ComSec) has successfully established a regional design studio (RDS) whose objective is to promote value addition, increase productivity and competitiveness, market access, regional integration and incentivize the drive towards product diversification and regional value added product dependence. Thusly, the paper asserts that to attain this aspired position the approach has to be all encompassing, adopt a triple helix approach and operate on a strengthened regional value chain platform.

Migration and Education: Quality Assurance and Mutual Recognition of Qualifications Summary of Expert Group Meeting (Nine Country Audit)

On September 22-23 2008, UNESCO convened an Expert Group Meeting in Paris on Migration and Education – Quality Assurance and Mutual Recognition of Qualifications. The aim of this meeting was to bring together senior representatives from UNESCO, WHO, IOM, UNCTAD, the Commonwealth Secretariat, OECD, the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), Hewlett Packard1 and a selected number of Permanent Delegations to UNESCO to facilitate discussion, and to hear country experts present commissioned papers addressing the topic. The nine case study countries (in alphabetical order) were Australia, Canada, China, France, Malaysia, Morocco, the Philippines, Senegal, and the United Kingdom (UK).

International Organisations and the Evolution of Humanitarianism: Cross-perspectives on the Commonwealth and the European Union

As international relations actors in the post-Second World War world, international organisations have played a significant role in the standardisation of global policy concepts during the 20th century, and humanitarian assistance has been no exception. While the study of the role of international organisations in shaping a dominant model of humanitarian aid has recently gathered pace, few historians have focused on different, less successful models and interpretations developed by other international organisations. Recently declassified Commonwealth Secretariat records show that discussions within the Secretariat and among member states regarding the potential objectives and scope of Commonwealth humanitarian assistance programmes took place as early as the 1960s, and continued throughout the following decades. This article provides an overview of the origin and evolution of the Commonwealth’s approach to humanitarian assistance since the 1960s. Its objective is to document this hitherto little known aspect of Commonwealth assistance policies, and, based on an initial literature and archival survey, to contribute to the identification of further research questions and gaps in this aspect of Commonwealth history. Although they are very different in nature and scope, the Commonwealth and the European Union share at least one common feature in so far as humanitarian assistance is concerned, namely their difficulty in reaching a consensual definition of it. By exploring the links and discrepancies between, as well as within, each organisation’s approach to humanitarian assistance, and by examining the initiatives of some of their member states, this paper seeks to highlight the plasticity of the definition of humanitarian assistance.

Transitioning to a Green Economy: Political Economy of Approaches in Small States, edited by NadineSmith, AnnaHalton and JanetStrachan. Published by Commonwealth Secretariat, London UK, 2014, 213 pages, ISBN: 978‐1849291279; AU$ 129.00 (paperback).

Transitioning to a Green Economy: Political Economy of Approaches in Small States, edited by NadineSmith, AnnaHalton and JanetStrachan. Published by Commonwealth Secretariat, London UK, 2014, 213 pages, ISBN: 978‐1849291279; AU$ 129.00 (paperback).

Are you willing to be made nothing? Is Commonwealth reform possible?

A new round of Commonwealth reform proposals commenced at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting of 2009. An ensuing report, titled A Commonwealth of the people: time for urgent reform, contained a long list of proposals that eventually resulted in 2013 in the adoption of the Commonwealth Charter. Many classic international organizations are in need of reform, but this is, of course, challenging. This new Commonwealth reform process will not lead to satisfying changes and will not make it a more relevant actor in global governance. The year 2015 marks the Commonwealth Secretariat's first half-century. We take this symbolic marker to push for a forward-looking exercise, arguing that because the true nature of the Commonwealth is often misunderstood, a better understanding of the organization is essential before embarking on any successful change-management project. In the article we identify four different kinds of Commonwealth: three of a �formal� nature (the official, bureaucratic and the people's Commonwealth) and a fourth �informal� one (Commonwealth Plus). By describing the potential of these four different kinds of Commonwealth, we can anticipate better the challenges with which the Commonwealth network is faced, both internal (including its mandate, its British imperial past and dominance, the organization's leadership and its membership) and external (other international organizations, other Commonwealths, rivalry with regional organizations and the rise of global policy networks). Consequently, this should lead to a better and more sustainable debate about the Commonwealth's future role in global governance.

A model act on integrity in public life

Following the mandate given by Law Ministers of Small Commonwealth Jurisdictions at their meeting in 2007, the Commonwealth Secretariat undertook to prepare a model Act on Integrity in Public Life. Regional seminars were convened in order to involve jurisdictions directly in the consideration of the issues and the development of the draft legislation and associated documents. The model Act provides for Ministers and non-elected public officials to abide by the terms of the Codes of Conduct and to make written declarations of interest. It details offences constituting abuse of office, misconduct and neglect of duty. It sets up an Integrity Commission and provides for its composition, functions and powers. The model Act is explicitly drafted to apply to the public servants involved in all the main areas of governance: the Executive, the Legislature and officers employed by parliament, and the judiciary.

International civil legal cooperation

At the last Commonwealth Law Ministers’ Meeting in Sydney, Australia, in 2011, law ministers mandated the Commonwealth Secretariat to develop a scheme for international cooperation in civil legal matters. This article explores the issues that would be covered by such a scheme and examines whether they are best addressed under existing international mechanisms, in particular the Hague Conventions. The article analyses the relevant provisions of the Hague Conventions and determines whether an intra-Commonwealth scheme on international civil legal cooperation would bring an advantage. It then makes recommendations in that regard.

Whole of Government Approach to Achieving National Development Goals: The Reform Managerial Roles and Processes in Ghana

The Commonwealth Secretariat proposes a new reform concept: ‘Whole of Government Approach [WoG] to achieving national development goals’ for Commonwealth African Governments. A critical analysis of the conception fails to differentiate it from existing ‘joined up government’ or ‘governance’. Despite being a matter of semantics, WoG builds its framework on three questions to differentiate it from the others and making it look unique. Situating Ghana’s Public Sector reform experience into administration reforms and development cooperation literature blended with a string of African cultural history the answers are constructed in Africanised context. This nascent WoG Approach granted its uniqueness, development partners’ overarching influence could hinder its progress as they have demonstrated with earlier reforms. Also, if it is to be Africanised to work, the leadership ought to identify, understand and communicate national relevant values and needs consistently with the governed.

An Overview of the Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal and Its Use of Discretion in Employment-Related Judgments

An Overview of the Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal and Its Use of Discretion in Employment-Related Judgments

The Use of Discretion in the Practice of the Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal's Employment-Related Judgments

This article examines the employment-related judgments of the Commonwealth Secretariat Administrative Tribunal (CSAT) with respect to the use of discretion. In the available literature, the practice of CSAT is virtually unexplored and rarely touched upon. The article focuses on four cases concerning the selection of a grievance mechanism, the implementation of a rotation policy, the non-payment of a cost of living allowance and the non-renewal of a contract of employment. The article finds that, while in cases where discretion was exercised lawfully, the Tribunal would refrain from substituting its views for the decision taken by the Secretariat, in cases where such discretion had been exercised unlawfully, the Tribunal would not hesitated to state so.

Reducing maternal and neonatal mortality in East, Central and Southern Africa with midwifery educator training

The East, Central and Southern Africa (ECSA) region faces a critical shortage of skilled birth attendants despite high levels of maternal and neonatal mortality. This situation could be improved by training more midwives, but in order to achieve this there is a need for more trainers. However, most countries in the region have no midwifery educators’ programmes to produce people to train the required midwives. To address this gap, the East, Central and Southern Africa College of Nursing (ECSACON), in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat, is implementing a 5-year project aimed at increasing the number of midwifery educators and midwives to contribute to the reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality in the ECSA region. A midwifery master’s prototype curriculum, compliant with regional and international standards for midwifery educators, was developed by regional and international stakeholders which higher education institutions in the region are encouraged to adapt according to country needs. The paper describes promising progress and achievements in the ongoing implementation of this project. Kamuzu College of Nursing (KCN) in Malawi and the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) in the UK both adapted the midwifery prototype curriculum and started the programme in 2008 as full time and distance learning, respectively. The University of Makerere in Uganda commenced the programme in August 2011; and the following universities are planning to commence the programme in late 2013: Muhimbili and Tumaini in Tanzania, Zambia, Swaziland, and the National University of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe. Uganda Christian University in Mukono intends to start the programme in 2014.

Innovations in Public Expenditure Management: Country Cases from the CommonwealthEdited byAndrewGraham. London, U.K.: Commonwealth Secretariat and Institute of Public Administration of Canada, 2011. Pp. vii, 108.

Innovations in Public Expenditure Management: Country Cases from the Commonwealth<i>Edited by</i>AndrewGraham. London, U.K.: Commonwealth Secretariat and Institute of Public Administration of Canada, 2011. <i>Pp</i>. vii, 108.

Annual update on certain developments in the implementation of international humanitarian law, 2012

The implementation of international humanitarian law (IHL) is a continuous and evolving process. As such, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) co-operates closely with the Commonwealth Secretariat with the aim to advise and support Commonwealth states on developments in IHL and to assist them in meeting their IHL treaty obligations. The present update highlights some of the key issues and recent developments in IHL that are of interest to Commonwealth states.

Macroeconomic Issues in Small States and Implications for Fund Engagement

This paper reviews the macroeconomic characteristics and performance of small states and discusses ways in which the Fund’s engagement with these countries could be better tailored to meet their needs. The Fund previously examined small states issues in 2000, informed by a Joint Task Force Report of the Commonwealth Secretariat (CS) and World Bank. Small states continue to face many of the same challenges they did then, and the 2000 Small States Report remains the foundation for much of the work in this area, both inside and outside the Fund. However, the relative macroeconomic performance of small states has deteriorated since the late 1990s, and a fresh look is warranted.

UK Parliament’s Praise Becomes Fainter

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Notes 1. The Future Role of the Commonwealth, First Report, Session 1995–96, of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, 27 March 1996. 2. Statement by Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Commonwealth Secretariat, 3 April 1996. 3. House of Commons debate, 27 June 1996, Vol. 280 cc479–519. 4. The Role and the Future of the Commonwealth, Fourth Report, Session 2012–13, of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, HC 114, 15 November 2012, pp. 3-11. 5. Ibid., p. 3. 6. Ibid., p. 50. 7. Written Evidence from The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs, 26 January 2012.