How has technology changed in the last 10 years pertaining to the island of the common wealth of dominica
Championing Small States
The Commonwealth has long been recognised as a champion of small states. Over four
decades of work has put the Commonwealth at the forefront of policy research and
global advocacy for small states. Thirty of the Commonwealth’s 52 member countries are
small states – mostly with populations of around 1.5 million or less. They all share similar
characteristics including:
• vulnerability to natural disasters and external economic shocks
• limited market diversification
• limited human and institutional capacity
• limited access to external capital.
Small states tend to be disproportionately impacted by global economic crises. They often
have slow economic recovery, struggle to meet development goals and many have high debt
burdens, which pose a severe threat to their economic growth.
Their almost total dependence on strategic imports – notably food and fuel – is also particularly concerning.
Furthermore, small states are also prone to weather-related disasters, which are anticipated to increase
in frequency and intensity with climate change. In some contexts, a single extreme weather
event in a small state can cause damage which exceeds its GDP in a given year, reversing
development by generations. In most of these countries, the key sectors of the economy
such as fisheries, tourism and agriculture are also climate sensitive. Their vulnerability is
further exacerbated by limited institutional capacity to respond to the challenges of climate
change, including accessing international climate finance and channelling it effectively.
The Commonwealth Secretariat offers a range of programmes to support small states
in tackling their challenges and in achieving their development goals. We are a leading
organisation for international advocacy on the broad range of challenges and issues faced by
small states. The Commonwealth provides advocacy, policy advice and technical assistance
to promote the interest of small states, working with both national governments and a widerange of international institutions and inter-governmental organisations, including the UN and
the World Bank, to benefit the development of small states. We have also worked with regional
organisations such as the Pacific Forum and the CARICOM Secretariat as well as the Alliance of
Small Island States (AOSIS) and the Small States Network for Economic Development (SSNED)
on issues affecting small statesWith the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the seventieth session of the UN General Assembly in September 2015 and the Paris Agreement at the UNFCCC’s COP21 in November 2015, all countries have committed to a series of global development goals. Small states continue to need support at both the national and international levels both to achieve their sustainable development goals and to measure and document their progress. The Commonwealth will continue to work with national governments to support development policies and programmes and with the international community to advocate for further support for the needs of small states.
