The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting this week is the biggest summit the UK has ever hosted, bringing together leaders, foreign ministers business and civil society from across the Commonwealth to address some of the most pressing development challenges of our time.
The UK is a proud member of the Commonwealth, a young and diverse body of nations with a third of the world’s population that is full of ambition and potential.
DFID works with partners across the Commonwealth to ensure that aid works. Together we are providing better access to health and education, while helping people into jobs.
The summit has given us all the chance to work together and build a reformed, revitalised and prosperous Commonwealth that brings trade, investment, growth and security for us all.
Some of the key UK aid achievements this week have been:
- More support to boost global research and help countries across the Commonwealth stop plastic waste from entering the oceans – read more here: Government pledges £61 million to tackle plastic pollution in oceans – ITV News (Online)
- Co-hosting the Malaria Summit with the governments of Rwanda and Swaziland to get Heads of Governments to commit to halving malaria in the next five years. The UK reaffirmed its commitment to spend £500 million a year on malaria up until 2020-21 which includes £100 million for the Global Fund to be match funded by the private sector, including £50m from the Gates Foundation. The UK is also committing further support for research to develop two new safe and effective malaria treatments. Read more here: War on malaria: on the brink of a breakthrough? - Telegraph
- Helping nearly a million girls receive 12 years of quality education in developing countries across the Commonwealth. Read more: UK makes £212m Commonwealth education aid pledge – BBC News
- Additional support to help eliminate trachoma working with 10 Commonwealth countries over the next two years, providing antibiotics to millions, surgery and education programmes to teach people how to stop the spread of this infection – read more here: UK leads fight to eliminate blindness - Telegraph
- UK support to tackle child labour and exploitation by helping to identify vulnerable people most at risk of child labour and strengthen law enforcement responses in a number of Commonwealth countries to crack down on this horrific crime. Read more here: Government announces £5.5m boost to end modern slavery in Commonwealth –
The Independent Online - Helping nations move from aid to trade as part of our new development offer, by unveiling new programmes to ease trade across borders that will help Commonwealth countries access untapped markets with the potential to create thousands of jobs and lift people out of poverty. Up to £1.5 billion worth of contracts will be signed between UK and Commonwealth countries – from Antigua to Zambia, covering deals in healthcare, food and drink and digital. Read more here: Trade is the answer to eradicating poverty in the Commonwealth - Telegraph
- Helping female entrepreneurs overcome the barriers that stop them from getting businesses off the ground in Commonwealth countries by providing practical support to connect them to trade and investment opportunities. Read more here: Theresa May creates Commonwealth fund to get women into business - Telegraph
- A package of support to the Caribbean to help prepare for future disasters and explore how innovative finance products can provide much-needed pay-outs quickly, to help speed up the recovery of businesses and critical services, like hospitals, power and schools. Read more here: Developing countries affected by natural disasters – The Voice
- A package of UK aid support for developing countries to access local currency bonds and to improve central bank capacity. DFID also launched the Digital Finance Champions Group. Read more here: Bank of England African central bank partnership among slew of new Commonwealth finance links – City AM
- Joining the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to help provide over one billion of the world’s poorest population with clean, affordable energy. Read more here: UK and India come together to provide clean, affordable energy to a billion people – Eastern Eye
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