Royal Commonwealth Society - Ottawa

Strengthening Communities

The Commonwealth - Fast Facts

The Commonwealth is made up of 54 independent countries that work together to pursue common goals which promote development, democracy, and peace. Our combined population of 2.4 billion is almost a third of the global population.

The combined GDP is projected to surpass US$13 trillion in 2020.
Half of the top 20 global emerging cities are in the Commonwealth.
Seven of the top 10 countries in the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, which measures rule of law, human rights, participation, human development and sustainable economic opportunity, are Commonwealth members.
Seven of the top 10 countries for gender equality in Sub-Saharan Africa are Commonwealth countries, according to World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2015.
Five of the best performing 15 countries in the Youth Development Index are Commonwealth members.
Since 1991, 12 Commonwealth member countries have moved to multi-party democracy from military or one-party rule.

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COMMONWEALTH - Insights, Inspiration, & Innovation

Nov 20, 2017

EU gives UK two-week deadline on Brexit divorce bill

The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has set the British government a deadline of two weeks to give “vital” clarification on the financial commitments it is willing to honour, at the end of a sixth round of Brexit talks that offered scant evidence of any progress. The issue of the border on the island of Ireland has also emerged as a serious challenge for the UK government, with the Irish demanding an urgent and definite commitment that a solution in effect keepi

Nov 13, 2017

May faces defeat by MPs demanding meaningful vote on final Brexit deal

Theresa May faces a devastating Commons defeat over Brexit within weeks if she continues to deny parliament a meaningful vote on the final deal with the EU, Tory and Labour MPs have warned. With the withdrawal bill returning to the Commons on Tuesday, a cross-party group who oppose a hard Brexit and are co-operating on tactics say they believe they have the numbers to defeat the government if they are denied such a vote. While the critical amendments and closest votes are not

U.K. Growth Surprise Clears Path for Bank of England Rate Rise

Oct 26, 2017

U.K. Growth Surprise Clears Path for Bank of England Rate Rise

The U.K. economy’s surprise acceleration has paved the way for the Bank of England to raise interest rates for the first time in a decade next week. The pound rose and investors increased bets on a tightening of monetary policy on Nov. 2 after initial data showed 0.4 percent growth last quarter, more than economists forecast and the fastest pace of the year so far. This is the last major economic report BOE officials will get on the health of the economy before their crucial

Lord Howell on the unique suitability of the modern Commonwealth to trade in the network age

Oct 10, 2017

Lord Howell on the unique suitability of the modern Commonwealth to trade in the network age

Brexit, March’s Commonwealth Trade Ministers Meeting and the upcoming Commonwealth Business Forum and Summit in 2018 have led to a heightened interest in Commonwealth trade. Britons wonder how far they can depend on old Commonwealth friends to provide new trading avenues post-Brexit, whilst Commonwealth countries wonder if and how the old network can still be of benefit to them. On the judgement of Lord Howell of Guildford, former Commonwealth Minister and President of the Ro

Oct 10, 2017

UK PM May tells business chiefs: two-year Brexit transition is assured - source

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May told business leaders that they should treat a two-year transition period after Brexit as assured as she tries to ease company concerns that Britain could crash out of the EU without a deal, a source told Reuters. May met business chiefs from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L), Vodafone (VOD.L) and HSBC (HSBA.L) and other major companies on Monday to hear what they want from talks on Britain’s relationship with the EU after Brexit. Businesse

Sep 19, 2017

Boris Johnson Heading for Showdown With May in New York

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is again the focus in British politics after his challenge of Prime Minister Theresa May sparked speculation over whether he’s willing to resign if she softens her stance on Brexit or if he could be fired for insubordination. Both May and her top diplomat will be New York this week before May delivers her big Brexit speech in Florence, Italy on Sept. 22. Johnson went out on a limb late Friday night -- on the same day as a terror attack -- with

Aug 29, 2017

Japan urges predictable, transparent Brexit ahead of visit by PM May

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan wants Britain’s exit from the European Union to be predictable and transparent so that Japanese companies can continue to operate smoothly in the country, a senior government official said on Monday. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasutoshi Nishimura said the government would do its utmost to gather information on the Brexit negotiations, which he said remain “fluid”, as well as support Japanese corporate activity there. He made the remarks at a govern

Aug 27, 2017

David Davis to avoid putting Brexit payment on table in Brussels

David Davis will refuse to reveal any details about what Britain could pay towards a Brexit bill when European Union exit talks resume next week, it has emerged, a choice certain to inflame tensions with Brussels. The Brexit secretary has conceded that Britain has “obligations” from its 44 years of EU membership, but will not say anything about what they might be when he meets the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, in Brussels next week, according to a person familiar wit

EU citizens will now lose free access to the UK in 2019

Jul 31, 2017

EU citizens will now lose free access to the UK in 2019

Citizens of the European Union (EU) have the right to live, work, and study across the bloc. But that right—known as freedom of movement—will come to an end in the UK in two years time. The British government confirmed today (July 31) that freedom of movement will end in March 2019, after Britain officially leaves the EU. A spokesperson for the prime minister’s office said it was wrong to suggest free movement would “continue as it is now” once Britain leaves the EU, the BBC

U.K. Retailers to Get Inflation Reprieve as Sun Comes Out: Chart

Jul 17, 2017

U.K. Retailers to Get Inflation Reprieve as Sun Comes Out: Chart

Rising prices have been eating into the purchasing power of U.K. households, darkening the outlook for retail sales. Data on Tuesday is forecast to show consumer-price inflation holding at a four-year high of 2.9 percent in June as weakness in the pound keeps import prices elevated. While that’s denting consumer spending, economists predict sunny weather may have helped retail sales -- to be published Thursday -- rebound from their May plunge. #Brexit

David Davis warns Brussels: You can't pick referee for legal disputes after Brexit

Jul 17, 2017

David Davis warns Brussels: You can't pick referee for legal disputes after Brexit

David Davis will tell the European Union this week it cannot “pick the referee” for legal disputes after Brexit as a new round of talks begin. Despite the hopes of some in his party, the Brexit Secretary is holding a firm line when it comes to ending the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice [ECJ] In recent days the Government has come under sustained pressure from pro-EU Tory MPs and political opponents to ditch Theresa May’s red line on the ECJ. #Brexit

Britain Welcomes Spanish King, Tries Not to Mention the Armada

Jul 13, 2017

Britain Welcomes Spanish King, Tries Not to Mention the Armada

British diplomats are brushing over a century of conflict and one attempted invasion as they seek to bolster ties with Spain in the midst of the Brexit negotiations. The U.K. Foreign Office is vaunting “500 years of partnership” with “some of Britain’s oldest friends” ahead of King Felipe VI’s state visit which begins on Wednesday. That reading skips over a few details along the way though, such as the time Spain sent its Armada to conquer Britain and the sporadic wars of the

Brexit Talks Set to Begin amid Chaos in London

Jun 19, 2017

Brexit Talks Set to Begin amid Chaos in London

Shortly after Prime Minister Theresa May's election debacle, a man who had been largely forgotten saw fit to comment. At an economic conference in Poland, former British premier David Cameron offered his successor a bit of unsolicited advice -- the same man whose most recent forays into the public eye involved dressing up as a James Bond villain for a party and having pictures of his feet posted on Instagram by his wife. Cameron said that his fellow Conservative Party member

How Theresa May blew a 20-point lead and saddled the UK with a hung parliament

Jun 9, 2017

How Theresa May blew a 20-point lead and saddled the UK with a hung parliament

In mid-April, in the aftermath of the vote for Brexit that pushed her into power, British prime minister Theresa May and her Conservative Party enjoyed a 20-point lead over the Labour Party. Confident of her party’s unassailability, May called a snap election. She bet that the Conservatives would secure more seats in Parliament to add to its seven-seat majority, silencing critics both inside and outside her party, and allowing May to emerge with a stronger hand to negotiate B

Commonwealth trade post-Brexit: ‘Everything is to play for’

Jun 4, 2017

Commonwealth trade post-Brexit: ‘Everything is to play for’

High commissioners from Australia, Canada and India joined Secretary-General Patricia Scotland at a financial services conference in London today to offer an upbeat assessment on future trade prospects in the Commonwealth. “I’m very optimistic,” declared Secretary-General Scotland as she outlined the ‘Commonwealth advantage’ in trade. “This family of nations has many things in common – common language, common law, common institutions, common parliamentary structures.” As a re

Commonwealth trade post-Brexit: ‘Everything is to play for’

May 26, 2017

Commonwealth trade post-Brexit: ‘Everything is to play for’

High commissioners from Australia, Canada and India joined Secretary-General Patricia Scotland at a financial services conference in London today to offer an upbeat assessment on future trade prospects in the Commonwealth. “I’m very optimistic,” declared Secretary-General Scotland as she outlined the ‘Commonwealth advantage’ in trade. “This family of nations has many things in common – common language, common law, common institutions, common parliamentary structures.” As a re

May 10, 2017

Countering Brexit with growth

Ultra-accommodative policies by central banks have helped support growth and inflation dynamics both in the UK following the shock EU referendum result and in the Eurozone. But the beneficial effects of unconventional monetary policy are starting to recede. As they do, concrete government policies for productivity growth are essential if the UK is to overcome the challenges of Brexit – and other European countries are to avoid being overwhelmed by their levels of public debt.

The UK’s snap general election is an opportunity to argue about Brexit all over again

Apr 18, 2017

The UK’s snap general election is an opportunity to argue about Brexit all over again

British prime minster Theresa May is fed up with a bickering parliament. To put her opponents in their place, today she announced a surprise snap general election to be held on June 8. The focal point of the bickering is Brexit. Britsh voters narrowly voted to leave the leave the EU last June, but the vote was only advisory. It took nine months for the prime minister to work through court battles and parliamentary votes to gain the legal powers necessary to officially begin t

UK leader seeks snap June 8 election to bolster Brexit hand

Apr 18, 2017

UK leader seeks snap June 8 election to bolster Brexit hand

LONDON (AP) — Delivering the latest jolt in Britain's year of political shocks, Prime Minister Theresa May called Tuesday for a snap June 8 general election, seeking to strengthen her hand in European Union exit talks and tighten her grip on a fractious Conservative Party. With the Labour opposition weakened, May's gamble will probably pay off with an enhanced Conservative majority in Parliament — but it's unlikely to unite a country deeply split over the decision to quit the

U.K.-Spain tensions over Gibraltar flare

Apr 2, 2017

U.K.-Spain tensions over Gibraltar flare

Senior British politicians stoked a war of words with Spain over Gibraltar, as a former leader of the U.K. Conservative Party suggested London would use force to defend the disputed territory in the event of Spanish aggression. The spat was triggered by the inclusion of a clause in the EU Council’s draft Brexit guidelines released Friday that would oblige the U.K. and Spain to come to a separate agreement about the status of Gibraltar — a small territory of 30,000 people on S