The Commonwealth

The Commonwealth

The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 independent and equal countries. It is home to 2.5 billion people, and includes both advanced economies and developing countries. 33 of our members are small states, including many island nations. Our member governments have agreed to shared goals like development, democracy and peace. Our values and principles are expressed in the Commonwealth Charter.

The Commonwealth Secretariat is the intergovernmental organisation that supports member countries to achieve the Commonwealth’s aims of development, democracy and peace. It publishes authoritative, evidence-based research and knowledge products for policymakers, academics, professionals and wider publics across the world. Our areas of focus and expertise include small and developing states; environment and climate change; democracy, law and government; and social issues concerning young people, gender, health and education.

Guidebook to Education in the Commonwealth

Guidebook showcasing successful, innovative education initiatives to help meet the MDGs and Education for All targets from around the Commonwealth, in a concise and easy-to-use format. Provides policy-makers with examples of solutions that will assist them in devising strategies to counter their own educational challenges.

  • Format: Paperback
  • ISBN: 9781849290845
  • Publication Date: Aug 2012
  • Availability: In Stock - Despatched Within 5 Working Days

New Century Local Government

Graham Sansom

This collection of papers shows how the role of local government is evolving throughout the Commonwealth and provides practical examples of new local government at work. It showcases emerging practice, and highlights success stories from new ways of working and challenges confronting local government in both developed and developing countries.

  • Format: Paperback
  • ISBN: 9781849290937
  • Publication Date: Sep 2013
  • Availability: In Stock - Despatched Within 5 Working Days

Anticipatory Social Protection

Marilyn Waring

This publication will help policy-makers and development practitioners to make informed decisions about programme design and delivery so that beneficiaries' access to and participation in social protection mechanisms are fully realised.

  • Format: Paperback
  • ISBN: 9781849290951
  • Publication Date: Oct 2013
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The Impact of Women's Political Leadership on Democracy and Development

Farah Deeba Chowdhury

Describes barriers to women's political participation and explains why women's inclusion is crucial to democracy. It identifies strategies – electoral reform (New Zealand), party voluntary quotas (South Africa), and legislative quotas (Bangladesh and India) – that have helped to advance the participation of women in decision-making at all levels.

  • Format: Paperback
  • ISBN: 9781849291095
  • Publication Date: Dec 2013
  • Availability: In Stock - Despatched Within 5 Working Days

Cameroon Legislative and Municipal Elections, 30 September 2013

The report of the Commonwealth Observer Mission for the Pakistan elections, held 11 May 2013. The Mission was led by Sir Douglas Kidd, former Speaker of the House of Representatives of New Zealand, and was comprised of 13 eminent persons.

  • Format: Paperback
  • ISBN: 9781849291132
  • Publication Date: Jan 2014
  • Availability: In Stock - Despatched Within 5 Working Days

Small States

This unique annual collection of key economic and statistical data on states with fewer than 5 million inhabitants is an essential reference for economists, planners and policy-makers working on issues of concern to small states. Contains 65 tables covering development indicators and an article focusing on the role of data and statistics.

  • Format: Paperback
  • ISBN: 9781849291255
  • Publication Date: Jun 2014
  • Availability: Temporarily out of stock: Usually despatched in 14-18 days

Maldives Presidential Elections, 7 September, 9 November and 16 November 2013

The report of the Commonwealth Observer Group for Maldives's presidential election held on 7 September, the re-run election held on 9 November, and the run-off election held on 16 November 2013. The Group was chaired by Dr Lawrence Gonzi, former Prime Minister of Malta, and was comprised of 17 members in total.

  • Format: Paperback
  • ISBN: 9781849291262
  • Publication Date: Feb 2014
  • Availability: In Stock - Despatched Within 5 Working Days

Building the Resilience of Small States

Denny Lewis-Bynoe

This study refines and expands the Commonwealth resilience framework, developed to measure the resilience of small states' economies to adverse economic shocks, natural disasters and extreme weather events. It proposes policy measures for building resilience, and the areas in which key development partners can provide support.

  • Format: Paperback
  • ISBN: 9781849291286
  • Publication Date: Sep 2014
  • Availability: In Stock - Despatched Within 5 Working Days

Malawi Tripartite Elections, 20 May 2014

The report of the Commonwealth Observer Group for Malawi tripartite elections held on 20 May 2014. The mission was chaired by Lt Gen Mompati Sebogodi Merafhe, former Vice-President of Botswana and was comprised of 11 members in total.

  • Format: Paperback
  • ISBN: 9781849291323
  • Publication Date: Oct 2014
  • Availability: In Stock - Despatched Within 5 Working Days

Commonwealth Trade Review 2015

Fundamental changes are taking place in the global trade landscape, and the Commonwealth, with its diverse membership, is adapting to and coming to terms with these changes. Offering insightful perspectives on topical issues that can contribute to promoting the role of trade in development, Commonwealth Trade Review 2015 addresses these issues.

  • Format: Paperback
  • ISBN: 9781849291453
  • Publication Date: Nov 2015
  • Availability: In Stock - Despatched Within 5 Working Days

Advancing Gender Equality

Advancing Gender Equality brings together case studies from 20 countries that demonstrate a range of strategies that can be employed to advance gender equality and women's empowerment. Together they help to show what perpetuates gender inequality and offer approaches that can be adopted to help end unjust discrimination.

  • Format: Paperback
  • ISBN: 9781849291514
  • Publication Date: Aug 2016
  • Availability: In Stock - Despatched Within 5 Working Days

The Blue Economy and Small States

Island nations have benefited from their ocean resources, with marine uses and activities contributing to their economic development. There is a growing appreciation of the critical role oceans play in sustainable economic growth and the need to manage and protect coastal and marine ecosystems that are the fundamental basis for that growth.

  • Format: Paperback
  • ISBN: 9781849291569
  • Publication Date: Sep 2016
  • Availability: In Stock - Despatched Within 5 Working Days

The Commonwealth at the Summit, Volume 4

The Commonwealth at the Summit: Volume 4 brings together the full text of declarations, statements and communiqués issued by Commonwealth Heads of Government between 2007 and 2015.

  • Format: Paperback
  • ISBN: 9781849291576
  • Publication Date: Nov 2016
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Global Youth Development Index and Report 2016

The Commonwealth's 2016 Global Youth Development Index and Report is an overview of the development of young people (aged 15 -30) in 183 countries, including 49 Commonwealth countries. It analyses 18 indicators across five domains -- education, health and well-being, employment and opportunity, political participation and civic participation.

  • Format: Paperback
  • ISBN: 9781849291590
  • Publication Date: Oct 2016
  • Availability: In Stock - Despatched Within 5 Working Days

Future Fragmentation Processes

Jodie Keane

This publication provides a careful examination of global value chains (GVCs) within which Commonwealth members countries specialise at the sectoral level: manufacturing, services and commodity trade, including within the realm of the oceans economy, and reflects on future fragmentation processes.

  • Format: Paperback
  • ISBN: 9781849291668
  • Publication Date: Aug 2017
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Financial Intermediation in Small Island Developing Economies

Maxwell J. Fry

This study examines the problems and policies for financial intermediation in small economies, including financial institutions, measures their efficiency and policy frame, and analyses the financial structure in the Bahamas, Barbados, Fiji, Hong Kong, Maldives, Papua New Guinea, St Lucia, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands and Western Samoa.

  • Format: Paperback
  • ISBN: 9780850922080
  • Publication Date: Sep 1981
  • Availability: In Stock - Despatched Within 5 Working Days