Report of the Commonwealth Secretary-General 2009

The Commonwealth Secretary-General’s Report covers the work of the 53-nation association and its principal intergovernmental organisation, the Commonwealth Secretariat.

It covers the period from July 2007 to June 2009, although there may be some items highlighted outside this period, where they reflect and aid the review.

The severe global economic crisis – which has resulted in the World Bank estimating a financing gap for developing countries of US$270–700 billion, and around half Commonwealth member countries facing negative GDP growth – has made it all the more important that the Secretariat’s interventions be significant, targeted and lead to concrete outcomes and results. The organisation’s potential assistance and advocacy is especially crucial for its smaller members, which make up 32 of the 53.

This report is divided into seven chapters, each focusing on a core area of the Secretariat’s work.