About the CFTC

Launched by Commonwealth Heads of Government in 1971 as a mutual fund, the CFTC provides technical assistance in support of economic growth, poverty reduction and sustainable development.

The CFTC has an annual budget of around £29 million, which is resourced by voluntary contributions from member governments and overseas territories, and drawn upon on a demand-led basis. CFTC assistance is targeted towards helping member countries acquire knowledge and institutional capacity to address their own development priorities – set within the framework of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Based on the premise that strong institutions, appropriate policies and efficient use of resources are essential to the attainment of the MDGs, public sector development is at the core of the CFTC’s development programme.

The CFTC is guided by the principle that it is only by building their own capacity can member countriestake full ownership of their development goals. Where capacity constraints are found, the CFTC works as a trusted partner to assist developing member countries – particularly the Commonwealth’s 32 small states, some of which are among its 21 least developed or low-income member countries – to advance economic development, public sector governance, human development, environmental protection, gender equality, democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights.

The CFTC responds to requests for technical assistance from governments and regional organisations with Commonwealth membership by providing advisory services via in-house and external experts who can transfer the necessary skills and knowledge required to build capacity and improve public service delivery. The deployment of external experts is an important element of the CFTC development programme. Increasingly this technical co-operation occurs on a South–South basis with the majority of CFTC experts recruited from developing member countries. This is important to ensure that assistance provided is relevant to the needs of the recipient country or institution. An expert’s assignment lasts from several weeks to up to two years, although in the case of certain institutional development projects, the duration may be longer. Assistance to the institutions in which the experts are placed is often supplemented with in-country and external training programmes.

The CFTC supports training programmes at centres of excellence throughout the Commonwealth aimed at enhancing skills in priority development areas and building knowledge networks that are an integral part of the CFTC’s development co-operation.

The CFTC also provides assistance at regional and pan-Commonwealth levels, either through a host country, regional intergovernmental organisations or educational institutions. Through such collaboration with international development partners, local, regional and global institutions, governments, universities and the private sector, it is ensured that the reach of CFTC development assistance is extended as widely as possible. The CFTC embodies the key principles of ownership and partnership. Its strengths lie in its ability to deliver high quality programmes of relevance to member states – particularly small and vulnerable economies – through its timely and flexible response.

Public Sector Development and Governance

The CFTC designs and implements strategies to improve public sector reform through the restructuring of governance systems, administrations and public policy management for the delivery of efficient, effective and accountable public services. It also strengthens oversight institutions such as the offices of the ombudsman and auditor-general. The Fund also assists member governments to develop policies and strategies to combat money laundering and corruption in economic management.

Economic Development

The Fund has a strong focus on providing assistance on economic and financial management, as well as enterprise, capital market and private sector development. To promote trade and investment in an increasingly competitive global environment, developing countries must develop new strategies to market their exports and services effectively by capitalising on their comparative advantage. The CFTC advises on multilateral trade issues, including accession to and negotiations with the World Trade Organization (WTO) to achieve economic integration. The Fund assists governments in enhancing competitiveness through the formulation of trade policies, export strategies, investment promotion and identifying emerging markets. Assistance is also provided for product improvement, skills and technology upgrading, and small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) development. Creating an enabling legal environment for trade and investment to flourish is equally vital. In this regard, the CFTC has provided experts to member countries and regional organisations to assist in law revision and legislative drafting. It also advises on renewable natural resources and provides assistance on the development of model licensing agreements for mining, petroleum and fisheries, and on negotiations for the development of natural resources (oil, gas and mineral resources) and the delimitation of maritime boundaries. The CFTC provides help in debt and financial management, especially for heavily indebted poor countries.

Democracy, Rule of Law and Human Rights

In the promotion of democracy and human rights, the CFTC provides specialist advisory services, training, experts, consultants and workshops to entrench democracy, human rights and the rule of law by strengthening democratic institutions such as electoral commissions.

Human Development

The CFTC’s human development work supports progress towards MDG targets in the areas of gender, health and education. Activities to advance gender equality include the integration of gender analysis into national budgets and programmes, the promotion of human rights for women and their participation in politics, peace efforts and conflict prevention. The CFTC’s work in education supports the efforts of member states to achieve universal primary education, eliminate gender disparities and improve the quality of education. Capacity development in the health sector includes helping member countries to implement HIV/AIDS policies and programmes, reduce child mortality and improve maternal health.