News & Events
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Commonwealth Day Message from His Majesty The King, Head of the Commonwealth
Join His Majesty The King as he shares a powerful Commonwealth Day message centered on unity and diversity. In this heartfelt address, the King reflects on the invaluable role of the Commonwealth—a family of nations—coming together to face today’s challenges. As we commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, we honour the brave men and women from across the Commonwealth who made the ultimate sacrifice. This year’s message emphasizes collaboration for peace, human rights, and environmental restoration. Let’s celebrate the strength found in our differences and the spirit of friendship that binds us.
Read the original message here: https://thecommonwealth.org/news/commonwealth-day-message-from-his-majesty-the-king
Botswana, De Beers sign renewed 10-year diamond sales agreement
After eight years of complex negotiations, Botswana and De Beers Group have finalised a landmark diamond sales agreement, marking a crucial milestone for the southern African nation’s mining sector.
The agreement, signed recently in the capital city of Gaborone, includes provisions for a potential five-year extension to the initial term. President Duma Boko, speaking at the signing ceremony, hailed it as a “good deal” that promises to generate substantial employment opportunities for Botswana’s citizens.
Under the renewed partnership, the state-owned Okavango Diamond Company will secure a 40 percent share of Debswana’s production, revised from an earlier provisional figure of 50 percent. Debswana, a joint venture equally owned by Botswana and De Beers, will see its mining licences extended by 25 years, now running until July 2054. The agreement represents a significant step forward in Botswana’s diamond industry, promising long-term value creation through existing mining assets and future expansion projects.
Read the original article here: https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202502/26/WS67be7a0da310c240449d7541.html
Botswana urges African nations to bolster regional trade
Dr Phenyo Butale, Botswana’s Minister of International Relations, has highlighted the critical need to increase trade between African nations during a memorial lecture at North-West University. Speaking at an event honouring the late South African Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Aziz Pahad, Dr Butale expressed concern over Africa’s continued reliance on external markets despite its abundant resources.
Using the example of beef trade, he pointed out how African nations like Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo import from Brazil while overlooking high-quality beef available in Botswana and South Africa’s North West province. This pattern of preferring trade with Europe and the United States over regional partnerships potentially hampers Africa’s economic growth.
The minister emphasized the importance of implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement, though noting that various challenges, including logistical and regulatory issues, currently impede progress. Dr Butale’s message stressed that Africa’s economic future depends not on the possibility of intra-continental trade, but on the collective will to make it happen.
Read the original article here: https://newbusinessethiopia.com/trade/botswana-urges-african-nations-to-bolster-regional-trade/
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Fireside Chat: A Surgeon’s Mission in Rwanda
We are delighted to welcome Mr. James Han Boon KONG for an insightful fireside chat conversation on his recent medical mission experience with Global Clinic in Butare, Rwanda. As an esteemed British surgeon with over 40 years of experience, Mr. KONG volunteered his...
Empowering Every User: Exploring Digital Accessibility with SaralX | Webinar Recording
Watch a webinar by Akashdeep Bansal, founder of SaralX, hosted by the Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce, discussing digital accessibility, inclusive design, and the socioeconomic impact of disability inclusion.
Empowering Every User: Exploring Digital Accessibility with SaralX
In today’s digital age, accessibility is not merely at times obligation but a fundamental necessity for fostering an equitable and inclusive online environment. SaralX, an Indian startup, is spearheading efforts to dismantle such barriers and empower organizations to embrace the principles of inclusive design. This ensures that their digital assets are accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Commonwealth Secretariat Strategic Plan 2021/22 – 2024/25
The Commonwealth Secretariat Strategic Plan 2021/22-2024/5 is a collaborative results framework publication drafted by the Commonwealth Secretariat. It is based on the principles of the Commonwealth Charter, the previous Strategic Plan (2017/18-2020/21), notes and recommendations from the Executive Committee and Board of Governors, internal and external documents such as the Forum of Small States, and mandates drafted during the Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings in the past decade.
Commonwealth Plasticity
The world can not recover from the impact of COVID-19 without an effective rules-based trading system that is both inclusive and sustainable. It will require members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to work in conjunction towards galvanizing multilateral trade to equip the Commonwealth states, as well as the rest of the world should they wish to partake, for any trade issues that may arise.
The Decentralised Commonwealth Dominance
Undoubtedly, trade is an essential element of sustainable economic development which has alleviated millions of individuals out of poverty worldwide. The importance of global trade to universal prosperity is showcased in the WTO’s membership which, over the 25 years since its establishment in the 1994 Marrakesh Agreement, has increased to 164 members, including 50 Commonwealth states, collectively constituting 96 per cent of global GDP.
How the presence of untrustworthy websites leads to consumer distrust
Tajdin Hassan, Chief Marketing Officer at Daraz Bangladesh, on the future of e-commerce platforms in Bangladesh: “The presence of untrustworthy websites that lead to consumer distrust remains a major issue for us”
Digital Services Tax: An Uncertain Future
In the midst of a raging pandemic as well as in its aftermath, the world has been gripped by digitalisation. Most companies have now transformed into digital entities, and most have a digital presence in almost all parts of the world.
Barrister Rashna Imam on the factors preventing women from entering the legal profession in Bangladesh
Barrister Rashna Imam is an Oxford scholar, an advocate of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh (both Divisions), and the Managing Partner of Akhtar Imam & Associates. Before joining Akhtar Imam & Associates, Rashna gained expertise as a corporate associate at Baker & McKenzie (London Office) through advising global giants like Arcelor Mittal and Schneider Electric on M&A and post-acquisition integration.