Transparency data

Commonwealth Fund summary 2022 to 2023

Published 30 March 2023

Overview

The FCDO Commonwealth Unit has supported 3 pan-Commonwealth programmes under the International Programme in Financial Year 2022 to 2023.  These focused on supporting enhanced intra-Commonwealth trade and investment and promotion of human rights. In addition, the FCDO supported the annual Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey. Brief information on each programme is provided below.

Commonwealth Trade and Investment Summit

This project continued FCDO’s engagement with the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) and focused on delivery of a Commonwealth Trade and Investment summit, which took place on 5 to 6 December 2022.  The objective was to further the ambition of enhanced intra-Commonwealth trade by bringing together representatives of Commonwealth governments, business and third sector partners to understand the trade and investment needs of Commonwealth member states and provide tangible opportunities for businesses to connect.  The Summit focused on key sustainability and green financing topics, and the role of business in tackling these challenges.

The Summit outcome document identifies prioritised themes and recommendations for future Commonwealth trade and investment dialogue. Potential priority work-streams for 2023, which will begin to build the pathway to the next CHOGM and the Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) in 2024, are: infrastructure investment, Green Finance, standards and accreditation, energy transition, with a particular focus on the challenges and opportunities for Small Island Developing States and Africa.

The overall allocation of this programme was £59,700, of which £47,760 was ODA and £11,940 Non-ODA.

Commonwealth Forum National Human Rights Institutions (CFNHRI)

This project continued FCDO’s support to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) for their extended tenure over 2018 to 2022 as Chair of Commonwealth Forum of National Human Rights Institutions (CFNHRI). FCDO support enabled the EHRC to perform the CFNHRI secretariat function and prepare for the handover of the Chair role to the Rwandan Human Rights Commission (RHRC) at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2022, when Rwanda assumed Chair-in-Office of the Commonwealth. In addition, UK funding enabled 27 representatives from National Human Rights Institutions in Least Developed and Lower Middle Income Commonwealth members to attend the Biennial Meeting of the CFNHRI that took place in Kigali immediately prior to CHOGM.

FCDO’s support for the EHRC has raised the profile of the CFNHRI within the Commonwealth and within the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI).  It has also provided National Human Rights institutions with capacity building opportunities and the tools to promote and protect Human Rights for vulnerable communities across the Commonwealth.

This FCDO provided £90,465 ODA to support this programme in the financial year 2022 to 2023.

Commonwealth Day Westminster Abbey Service

This project supports the implementation of the annual Commonwealth Day Service in Westminster Abbey, taking place on 13 March 2023.  This is the largest annual inter-faith gathering in the UK, bringing together a diverse group of Commonwealth young people and civil society, school children from around the UK, and foreign ministers and diplomats from Commonwealth countries.  Members of the UK Royal Family, UK government ministers and Parliamentarians also attend. The event celebrates the special partnerships between the Commonwealth nations and its peoples.  It will highlight the work of the Commonwealth, both in the UK and across the world.

FCDO has provided the Royal Commonwealth Service with a £35,000 non-ODA grant towards the overall costs, supplementing funds they have raised from several other sources.