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The CAS 2020 Summit programme will include sessions that focus on:
Stronger Economy:
Across the Commonwealth, nations and an increasing number of businesses must look beyond short-term economic growth, creating value and sustainable solutions for society. They have to drive driving innovation, create jobs, advance more inclusive growth, and embrace new technologies to deliver wider goals of development in Commonwealth. At CAS 2020, we shall enumerate how and why Commonwealth member states and their economic strongholds can improve and protect social and economic opportunities for citizens from within and without with special consideration for Africa. Why Africa? According to the African Development Bank, Africa has become the world’s second most unequal continent. The imbalance of wealth and income is not just morally repugnant; it is a serious impediment to future growth and it sows the seeds of disillusion and conflict. Governments must tackle corruption, ensure that tax systems are free of loopholes, and promote transparency and accountability. There is unfortunately no shortage of countries in Africa which have enjoyed periods of significant economic growth and high investment.
Stronger Security:
A stronger, more forward-looking peace and security partnership between Commonwealth member states is absolutely achievable. A coherent and coordinated continuum of engagement can be achieved by preventing conflict while building, keeping and sustaining peace, in accordance with Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter. A robust cooperation between the regional bloc and the Commonwealth can boost consultations with member states, and to plan collaborative field missions to formulate cohesive positions and strategies on a case-by-case basis in dealing with conflict situations especially in Africa. CAS 2020 intends to use momentum from resolutions on security to further enhance and institutionalize that cooperation and to arrive at an agreed framework for regular consultations, exchange of information and analysis, and opportunities for joint initiatives aimed at sustaining peace within the Commonwealth. All member states of the Commonwealth should be encouraged to commit to building the capacity of their security institutions and provide effective and sustainable security and law enforcement services to their citizens. Our goal is for the nations of the Commonwealth to take ownership over peace and security in their own neighborhood first before spreading peace abroad.
Stronger Democracy:
In the past, the Commonwealth definitions of ‘democracy’, ‘democratic institutions’ and ‘democratic practices’ have been clearly spelt out – not least in the Commonwealth Declarations of 1971 (Singapore) and 1991 (Harare, Zimbabwe), which set out its fundamental political values. Further, the Latimer House principles of 2003 define and differentiate the roles of the three branches of government: the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. In addition the Trinidad and Tobago Affirmation of 2009 brings all these principles together and further reinforces the Commonwealth’s commitment to them. Yet despite the Commonwealth sharing common principles based on these declarations, the sheer size and diversity of the association means that democracy within it takes on a variety of forms, some regrettable twists and turns, a number of positive advances and, always, a range of challenges.
In too many countries there is a ‘winner-takes-all’ mentality, resulting in the lack of political space for effective opposition. There is also often a failure to separate between party and state, which is extremely damaging, making important public institutions such as the military, judiciary, election commission and state media hostage to the incumbent. A lot of Commonwealth members practice ‘flawed democracies’ or ‘hybrid’ and ‘authoritarian regimes’. The credibility of an election and the integrity of the political process have continually being the threat to many budding democracies. At CAS 2020, our focus on building stronger democracy across board is structured towards; adherence to democratic principles and democratic processes, strengthening of democratic institutions, increased and effective participation of women, youth, other vulnerable groups and civil society organisations in decision-making institutions and processes, and encouraging the media to play a more active role in democratic processes across Commonwealth countries.
Stronger Institutions:
Government institutions play an important role in shaping and incentivizing the way society and organizations behave by setting the ‘rules of the game’. These rules guide economic and political interactions determine how goods and services are delivered, shape how budgets are spent, and regulate the justice system. But, by themselves, these rules are not always effective. When rules are not enacted and enforced by effective and trusted institutions, then resources are wasted, services aren’t delivered, and people (especially the poor) do not receive the required protection. Institution building encompasses an array of steps and procedures, each one building on and reinforcing the other to create a desired whole. These may include creating and implementing strong codes of corporate governance, taking the business of audit seriously, listing on the capital market and consummating mergers and acquisitions where necessary. Strong institutions are the cornerstone of stable governments and it can be said that economic prosperity and obedience to rule of law that exists in some countries of the Commonwealth can be attributed to functional strong institutions. CAS 2020 shall focus on how strong institutions deliver free and fair elections in CommonwealthAfrica, build citizenry trust in the government and enthusiastically participate in the political process, reduce corruption, promote economic development, guide appropriation of resources and promote peace.
Stronger in Sport for Development:
The concept of Sport for Development and Peace is rooted in the recognition that sport possesses unique attributes that enable it to contribute to development and peace processes. These attributes include: Universal popularity, Capacity as a powerful global communications platform, Ability to connect people easily, Cross cutting nature, and Potential to empower, motivate and inspire. Strong Sport for Development and Peace programs combine sport and play with other non-sport components to enhance their effectiveness. They are delivered in an integrated manner with other local, regional and national development and peace initiatives so that they are mutually reinforcing. Programs seek to empower participants and communities by engaging them in the design and delivery of activities, building local capacity, adhering to generally accepted principles of transparency and accountability, and pursuing sustainability through collaboration, partnerships and coordinated action. CAS 2020 wants to focus on how sports can promote health and prevent disease, strengthen child & youth development and education,enhance the inclusion and well-being of person with disabilities, promote gender equity and empowering girls & women, enhance social inclusion, prevent conflict, and build peace across the Commonwealth.
Environmental robustness:
A critical challenge with a huge impact on the health of Commonwealth societies and economies is environmental protection and good stewardship of scarce resources. A healthy environment is a prerequisite for eradicating poverty and driving equitable growth and social progress. Deterioration of environmental quality arising from urbanization is negatively impacting health, income, productivity, and the quality of life in CommonwealthAfrica economies and cities. In Sub-Saharan Africa, public welfare losses resulting from exposure to household and ambient air pollution were estimated to amount to 3.8% of the regional gross domestic product. Governments have to adopt, enforce and strengthen policies that promote responsible natural resource management and prevent the loss of natural habitats, forests and biodiversity. At CAS 2020, businesses would be taught to source, process and manage resources more sustainably to meet the growing demand, while preserving our environment. This must include responsible water stewardship, striving for zero waste and using energy resources more sustainably. We shall also seize this moment to change the way we produce energy. Shifting towards renewable energy sources will not only help to avert climate catastrophe, but also create new opportunities for investment, growth and employment.
Stronger Partnership/Collaboration:
Partnership is more than just collaboration on ad-hoc projects among member states of the Commonwealth. It is about moving beyond responsibility for independent results to a relationship that involves co-creation, shared risks and responsibilities, interdependency, and organizational transformation. Building partnerships for good governance among member states and businesses of the Commonwealth involves recognizing and including all relevant stakeholders in the Commonwealth into strategic alliances around goals and tasks. These strategic alliances involve recognition of strengths and weaknesses of the various partners, as well as developing synergies for results-oriented activities. With these active partnerships, the involved governments, institutions, citizens and organizations recognize not only the value of passively receiving benefits from proximity but also the value of assertively seeking out the best of each others’ performance possibilities. At CAS 2020, the focus of stronger partnership and collaboration of CommonwealthAfrica would be centered on building partnerships and collaboration for effective governance—global, national and local, The role of Commonwealth in developing economic, policy, security and migration partnerships, National governance mechanisms fostering partnerships in the Commonwealth, Mobilizing civil society for national and international partnerships; and building eco-partnerships in local governance.
Stronger and Sustainable Development:
The Commonwealth charter has sustainable development as a major highlight and item. It stressed the importance of sustainable economic and social transformation to eliminate poverty and meet the basic needs of the vast majority of the people of the world and reiterate that economic and social progress enhances the sustainability of democracy. The world recently adopted the ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’. African countries also adopted a vision with an even longer view of the future: ‘Agenda 2063 – The Africa We Want’. These high-level frameworks are great opportunities to work together across sectors and disciplines in new ways to address this nexus and reconfigure towards sustainable development. With CAS 2020 we intend to open the door to political intentions to break down the prevailing silos among people, institutions, knowledge and disciplines within and across government, business and civil society that have constrained the social and environmental benefits of sustainable development to date. However, we do recognize that there are barriers: insufficient incentive structures for coordination; high staff turnover; political changes linked to staffing capacity; and inadequate financial resources within ministries. In addition, there is still a common view in developing nations that the role of sustainable development is the business of government alone and social issues are the concern mainly of ministries and government agencies. These and many more would be addressed at CAS 2020.
Stronger Inclusion/Participation of Women and Youth:
Today, in CommonwealthAfrica, too many young persons and women remain outside the reach of what should be their full economic and self-empowerment potential. Investing in youth and women for accelerated growth and sustainable development for stronger Commonwealth is of great essence. The objective of inclusion is to provide concrete platform for societal renewal and growth and to secure the future generations. Investing in youth and women is a prerequisite for building a sustainable future. It is a high priority to provide young people and women with the skills and opportunities they need through the mobilization of smart and targeted investments and active participation in politics. We want to use CAS 2020 to renew the commitment of global leaders and changemakers to empower young people, both girls and boys, as well as women, to participate in political, economic and social life, on equal terms, to their full potential.
Stronger commitment to uphold the Commonwealth Charter
The significance of the Commonwealth has been steadily growing over the last two decades. In publishing a Charter, member countries have signed up to a common set of beliefs, and made clear their intention to build up the institution and make it more visible and more relevant in the months and years to come. The Charter marks an important milestone in the Commonwealth modernization process and the future of the organization. Sixteen core values are set out in the Charter, all of which Commonwealth Leaders have committed their countries to upholding. These values cover, among others: upholding democracy and human rights, international peace and security, freedom of expression, promoting tolerance and respect, protecting the environment, providing access to health, education and food and recognizing the positive role that young people can play in promoting these and other values. By outlining these values, the Commonwealth is ensuring that these commitments are clearly defined and accessible to everyone in the Commonwealth.
It’s a known fact that some Commonwealth countries are yet to fully adhere to contents and values of the Commonwealth Charter. At CAS 2020 we look to forward to a gathering where Commonwealth governments will renew their commitment to make progress in upholding the values they have agreed.
