Projects, Programmes and Funds

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• What is the Hub and Spokes Project?
  A collaborative initiative between the Commonwealth Secretariat, Organisation internationale de la Francophonie and the European Union. African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, which have Community aid and preferential access to Community markets under the Lomé Convention, benefit from the combined work. The project aims to promote the effective participation of these countries in international trade negotiations and to strengthen their capacity to formulate and implement trade policies. More...
• What is the Commonwealth Teacher Recruitment Protocol?
  The Commonwealth Teacher Recruitment Protocol aims to balance the rights of teachers to migrate internationally, on a temporary or permanent basis, against the need to protect the integrity of national education systems, and prevent the exploitation of scarce human resources in developing or low income countries. Download
• What is Commonwealth Connects?
  The Commonwealth Connects Programme aims to help bridge the deepening Digital Divide across the 54 countries of the Commonwealth. Digital divide refers to the gap between those people with effective access to digital and information technology, and those without access to it. It is a unique initiative that enables the transfer of technology and expertise across the whole Commonwealth. More...
• What is the Commonwealth Media Development Fund and what does it do?
  The Commonwealth Media Development Fund (CMDF), administered by the Commonwealth Secretariat, offers financial support for projects designed to strengthen media in reporting of issues around Millennium Development Goals in Commonwealth developing countries. It works in partnership with media NGOs to develop skills and knowledge of journalists at all levels.
  In total some 5,000 journalists have been trained under CMDF over the past ten years. In the past two years, the Commonwealth Secretariat has targeted media skills and knowledge building in key issues of the day -- including crucial work to support democracy, good governance and human rights, health, education, the environment and climate change, conflict management, globalisation and trade. Among highlights in 2007 was a pan-Commonwealth workshop on Millennium Development Goals on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kampala. Speakers included President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone in whose country’s reconstruction the Commonwealth Secretariat has been a major player, as well as UN Undersecretary-General and Habitat Executive Director Dr Anna Tibaijuka. Under CMDF also, the Secretariat organised a seminar on post conflict management in Kenya in the aftermath of a political crisis sparked by disputed results of December 2007 elections. More...
• What is the Commonwealth Service Abroad Programme?
  The Commonwealth Service Abroad Programme (CSAP) places 30 volunteer experts a year to assist member countries. It is also the Secretariat’s primary initiative in response to national disasters such as the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the October 2005 Pakistan earthquake. More...
• What is the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation? (CFTC)
  CFTC is a fund which provides assistance to developing member countries, especially small states and least developed members. Assistance is provided through professionals who share their skills and experience to help national and regional institutions. The CFTC also supports and develops training programmes at centres of excellence throughout the Commonwealth in areas that need development. More...

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