C’wealth states to boost trade, investment

LONDON: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Theresa May has said that Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting-2018 Declaration on the Commonwealth connectivity agenda for trade and investment would help expand investment and boost intra-Commonwealth trade to a value of $2 trillion by 2030.

She was addressing a crowded closing press conference of CHOGM-2018. Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland, heads of governments from Samoa, Grenada and Ghana were also present and spoke on the occasion.

The CHOGM-2018 leaders on "Towards a common future" unanimously adopted a declaration included Commonwealth Blue Charter ocean action that took a strong stance against cybercrime with landmark declaration, forward-looking connectivity agenda for trade and investment and updated observation guidelines for Commonwealth elections.

Prime Minister Theresa May said, "Many of the greatest challenges we face are global in nature, the breadth of the Commonwealth spanning six continents and a third of the world’s population offers a unique perspective in helping forge the global solutions we need.”

"No other organisation has our geographical and cultural diversity while giving all nations an equal role, an equal voice and an equal standing", she remarked.

The UK prime minister said, "This is the first time that security has been a central theme of our leaders meeting. And we have shown our resolve to stand together in defence of the rules-based international system, and in defiance of those who threaten us all by seeking to undermine it".

The UK prime minister said that the Commonwealth Cyber Declaration will help protect the people and businesses from ever-more sophisticated digital threats and counter those who would abuse the freedom of the internet to undermine our values, our security and even our democracies.

She said that when it comes to building a more sustainable future, there are a few more authentic voices than the Commonwealth, with many island states severely affected by extreme weather events and the scourge of plastics polluting our oceans.

Indeed, she said, "We are in London today because of the devastation wrought on Vanuatu by Cyclone Pam in 2015".

"So as a global leader in the fight against Climate Change, we are proud that every nation of the Commonwealth has now ratified the Paris Agreement", she remarked.

The UK prime minister observed, “Every one of our nations is united behind its highest ambition of pursuing efforts to limit the increase in global average temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.”

She added that with over 90 percent of Commonwealth citizens living in malaria-affected countries, the Commonwealth has a particular duty to lead international efforts to tackle this deadly disease.

So earlier this week, she said, "I called on Commonwealth leaders to pledge to halve Malaria across the Commonwealth by 2023. And I am pleased that this has been agreed today".

In building a more prosperous future, this is the first Commonwealth summit to make a unanimous statement on the need to fight protectionism, she said.

Finally, she said, "We have reaffirmed our commitment to a fairer future in which everyone is free to live their life and fulfill their potential".

She said that looking to that future, we have also reached an important longer-term agreement about the role of Head of the Commonwealth.

"When Her Majesty the Queen assumed the throne the Commonwealth had just eight members. Today it has 53", she remarked.

Commonwealth Secretary-General in her remarks highlighted the achievements and future goals and initiatives of the Commonwealth for the benefit of the peoples of the member states.