This week the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will be held jointly in London and Windsor.

The theme of this summit will be young people and how to ensure a secure, sustainable and prosperous future across the Commonwealth.

One such focus will therefore be on international trade and the campaign for trade, not aid, to promote international development. The value of goods and services traded between Commonwealth countries is expected to double in the next 2 years from $560bn to $1trl.

CHOGM will also focus on how to protect the environment for future generations for future generations. The UK, along with New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Ghana and Vanuatu are leading a group aiming to fight against plastic pollution, encourage research and push for global change. The builds on the Commonwealth’s strong history of promoting environmental sustainability, most notably the Langkawi Declaration of 1989.

 

The MP for the Windsor constituency, Adam Afriyie welcomed the figures:

“The world’s eyes will be on Windsor this week, as we jointly host a meeting of one of the world’s largest community of nations.

“This comes at an important time as because after Britain has left the EU we will be able to negotiate our own free trade agreements for the first time in nearly 50 years. CHOGM is an opportunity to build constructive dialogue with countries across the globe and let the world know that Britain is an outward-looking nation that’s open for business.

“Our Commonwealth membership means we can take co-ordinate action on a variety of international challenges we face, from pollution to international trade, without infringing on one another’s sovereignty. Instead, we are a community of 53 countries from both old friends and new ones.”

 

ENDS

Note to editors

1.    Adam Afriyie is the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Ghana and Guinea.

2.    He has a strong background in science, technology and innovation.

3.    He is currently Chairman of the Fintech APPG, Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) and President of the Conservative Technology Forum (CTF).

4.    He was shadow Minister for Science from 2007-2010 and has a background in the information services and technology sector.

5.    For more information about the 2018 Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting, please click here.