Small States Digest Issue 4 2011

Welcome to the fourth issue of the Small States Digest, a periodic information sharing newsletter from the Commonwealth Secretariat, focusing on the needs and interests of Small States.

In this issue, small states’ practices and experiences are shared in the following articles: “Better Governance - Issues and Challenges in Corruption Control for Small States “by Roger Koranteng, PhD; “Remittances: Lifeline for Small Islands?” by Professor John Connell; and “Migrants, remittances and Development: Building Capacity in Commonwealth Countries” by Dr Kenrick C Hunte.

Roger Koranteng’s article throws in “corruption” as significant among the multiple developmental challenges facing small states today. He contends that corruption in small states manifests itself in various forms and undermines the performance of the public sector and compromises the state’s capacity to deliver public services.

In his article, John Connell analyses the trends of remittances as a share of GDP in small states. He notes that small states receive a higher proportion of remittances as a share of GDP and concludes that while the sustainability of remittance-dependent development is important, it is also at least uncertain and unpredictable.

Finally, Kenrick Hunte’s article explores ways in which high-income Commonwealth countries could work with the low-income ones in finding meaningful ways to build capacity by sharing their expertise and knowledge. The author places focus on improving institutional efficiency, investment promotion and employment, and encourage the contributions of the Diaspora, especially in converting a proportion of their remittances into non-consumption goods and services.

As usual, the Digest also contains selected economic indicators, a listing of recent publications on small states and an up-coming events section.

For further information regarding the Small States Digest, please contact
Andrew Armitage at a.armitage@commonwealth.int.

Previous Issues

Small States Digest - Issue 2, September 2011
Release date: 28 July 2010

Small States Digest - Issue 1, May 2011
Release date: 12 April 2010

Disclaimer: “Views expressed in this issue are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Commonwealth Secretariat or of Commonwealth Member Governments.”

Janet Strachan
Adviser & Head
Small States, Environment and Economic Management Section
Economic Affairs Division