Leaders committed themselves to the vision of increasing intra-Commonwealth trade to US$2 Trillion by 2030, and expanding intra-Commonwealth investment. This is to be achieved through the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda for Trade and Investment.
The Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda is a platform for countries to exchange best practices and experiences to trade and investment and undertake domestic reform. This cross-fertilization will contribute to further reducing trade frictions among members.
Reports
Connectivity Agenda Action Plan
The Action Plan contextualises and operationalises the work of the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda. It gives practical expression to the Agenda by translating the Declaration on the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda for Trade and Investment made by Commonwealth Heads of Government in April 2018 into ambitions, outputs and specific activities for action.
State of the Digital Economy in the Commonwealth
The over-arching objective of this study is to assess the state of the digital economy in the Commonwealth, through:
- Identifying the different levels at which the Commonwealth countries are operating in the digital economy
- Scoping out the new opportunities for development of small states in the Commonwealth, including through investment in digital machinery, digital skills, e-commerce and e-government services
- Identifying the challenges that a persistent digital divide poses in these countries
- Understanding the potential for digital technologies to boost intra-Commonwealth trade, and highlighting the role intra-Commonwealth co-operation can play in building digital capacity, particularly in small states
- Identifying best practices and lessons from Commonwealth economies at different levels of development and digital transformation, such as the UK, India, South Africa, Kenya and Papua New Guinea
Case studies
Case studies from selected Commonwealth member countries on issues relevant to the work programmes of the 5 Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda clusters.
Repository of Digital Policies and Regulations
The Commonwealth Secretariat has created an online repository of digital policies and regulations that covers all Commonwealth countries and contains information on individual policies and regulations in specific countries. The repository is intended to provide a frame of reference for Commonwealth members wanting to devise and implement appropriate policies to support digital transformation, create an enabling environment for digital trade, and harness the benefits of digital transformation.
The Physical Connectivity cluster supports best practice in digital infrastructure.
- Inclusion - Members of the cluster are exploring approaches to sustainable investment in digital Infrastructure which would support economic inclusion.
- Efficiency - The Physical Connectivity Cluster is exploring ways to support efficiency in digital infrastructure.
- Digital divide - The Cluster is examining ways in which access and affordability of digital infrastructure can narrow the digital divide.
The Digital Connectivity Cluster is focused on supporting inclusive digital transformation across the Commonwealth.
- Digital Economy – The Digital Connectivity Cluster is highlighting the role of Commonwealth governments in digital transformation, specifically on enabling the digital economy and digital value chains to facilitate trade.
- Digital Trade – The Cluster is working to enhance digital connectivity across the Commonwealth, provide an enabling environment for digital trade and support capacity-constrained members to take advantage of the opportunities presented by digital trade. It is also exploring how digital trade can promote inclusive growth in the Commonwealth.
- Digital Industrial Policy – The Digital Connectivity Cluster is sharing experience and expertise to enhance understanding and capacity in digital industrial policy by developing the evidence base on policies that enable digital skills development, digital trade and digital industrial development across the Commonwealth.
The Regulatory Connectivity Cluster is working to improve regulatory regimes for trade and investment across the Commonwealth.
- Good regulatory practices – The Regulatory Connectivity Cluster is developing a common understanding of best practice for Good Regulatory Practices (GPRs) and to build capacity for Commonwealth members to design and implement GRPs.
- Ease of doing business – Members are exchanging knowledge and experiences on ease of doing business reforms and ways to ease regulatory challenges for micro, small and medium enterprises.
- Non-tariff barriers – The Cluster is facilitating trade and investment supportive international regulatory cooperation within the Commonwealth. They are cooperating to support inter-operability of systems and regulations in order to reduce regulatory barriers to intra-Commonwealth trade.
The Supply Side Connectivity Cluster supports best practices in the use of digital technologies and the participation of all members in the agriculture and fisheries global value chains.
- SMART Agriculture - The Supply Side Connectivity Cluster is sharing experiences and best practices on the use of technology in agriculture to boost productivity, efficiency and exports.
- SMART Fisheries - The Cluster is sharing experiences and best practices on the use of technology in fisheries to combat illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing and to boost fisheries exports.
- Sectoral Initiatives - Coalitions of members are engaging in specific sectoral initiatives. The first such initiative has been for the coconut sector.
- Inclusive and Sustainable Growth - Members of the cluster are sharing experiences and examining how technology can be used as leverage to empower more women and youth participation in the agriculture and fisheries sector by integration into value chains and promoting inclusive and sustainable growth.
The Business to Business Connectivity Cluster facilitates public-private dialogue on connectivity and promotes networking and interaction between the public and private sector across the Commonwealth.
- Private sector engagement - The Cluster performs a cross-cutting function to ensure the work of the Digital, Physical, Regulatory and Supply Side Connectivity clusters engages with, and is responsive to, the views and needs of businesses in the Commonwealth.
- Public-private dialogue - The Business to Business Connectivity Cluster provides a platform to facilitate direct Ministerial engagement with the Commonwealth private sector.
- Commonwealth business networks - The Business to Business Connectivity Cluster provides an inclusive platform to build networks of Commonwealth Accredited Organisations and apex regional private sector bodies in a pan-Commonwealth setting.
