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Overview

The FCDO Commonwealth Unit is supporting five pan-Commonwealth programmes under the International Programme in Financial Year 2023 to 2024.聽 These are focused on supporting enhanced intra-Commonwealth trade and investment and promotion of human rights and democracy. In addition, the FCDO is supporting 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鈥檚 engagement with the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) and focused on delivery of a Commonwealth Trade and Investment summit, which took place over 27 to 28 November 2023.聽

The objective was to convene senior Government leaders and businesses to enhance intra-Commonwealth trade and investment, demonstrate the Commonwealth Advantage, and progress economic priorities of Commonwealth member states in the lead up to the Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) 2024 in Samoa.

The Summit focussed on a wide range of themes, ranging from barriers to trade to digital transformation and global health coverage. View the .

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

Commonwealth Forum National Human Rights Institutions (CFNHRI)

The Commonwealth Forum of National Human Rights Institutions is a global member-led network of human rights institutions, ombudsmen, and public defenders, which strives to protect, promote, and advance human rights across Commonwealth countries.

This project focussed on producing a business case, setting out the modalities, structure, and status for a proposed permanent secretariat for the Commonwealth Forum of National Human Rights Institutions.聽 This supported the CFNHRI to move towards long-term stability and strengthened the support the Forum can offer to member organisations across the Commonwealth.

A Permanent Secretariat of the CFNHRI will provide a centralised system, allowing the forum to function more smoothly. The CFNHRI will be more able to work with, and potentially deliver projects funded by, external stakeholders. The move to a Permanent Secretariat was well supported by CFNHRI members.

FCDO provided 拢70,016 ODA to support this programme in the financial year 2023 to 2024.

Commonwealth Day Westminster Abbey Service

This project supports the delivery of the annual Commonwealth Day Service in Westminster Abbey, taking place on 11 March 2024.聽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.聽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 拢35,000 non-ODA grant towards the overall costs, supplementing funds they have raised from several other sources.

Commonwealth Parliamentary Association: UK Branch

This project has worked over FY 2023 to 2024 to enable Commonwealth parliaments to be more active and effective in addressing violence against women and girls (VAWG) and modern slavery with aim of developing 聽robust legislation聽 to bring about a reduction in gender-based violence (GBV) and in modern slavery in supply chains.

The project worked with regional Women鈥檚 Rights Organisations (WROs), survivor networks and other relevant stakeholders to ensure those with lived experience (of gender-based violence and modern slavery) have contributed to the project design and delivery. The key output was the delivery of a regional workshop on Gender-based Violence and Modern Slavery in Supply Chains that took place in Kenya 14 to 16 November.

FCDO provided 拢200,107 ODA to support this programme in the financial year 2023 to 2024.

Commonwealth Parliamentary Association -International

This project has worked over FY 2023 to 2024 to strengthen institutional parliamentary democracy and good governance across the Commonwealth. The main activities of this project were to undertake some in-country Benchmark assessments against a set of updated set of CPA Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures, and this was supported through Technical Assistance Programmes held in the UK. These activities supported the aim of ensuring that parliaments vigorously scrutinise and hold the executive to account and to enable parliamentarians to represent their communities.

FCDO provided 拢163,685 ODA to support this programme in the financial year 2023 to 2024.

Commonwealth Standards Network (CSN): Phase 3

This project during FY 2023 to 2024 has built on work previously undertaken and re-energised the Commonwealth Standards Network (CSN) so that it can act as a collaborative network with an influential international voice that can support the increased use of international standards in Commonwealth ODA-eligible countries 鈥� primarily by strengthening the capacity of their National Standards Bodies (NSBs). It has also built on the wider work being funded by FCDO under the Standards Partnership Programme, helping to share learnings and build a cohesive offer.

FCDO provided 拢250,000 ODA to support this programme in the financial year 2023 to 2024.