Commonwealth finance ministers meet in Tokyo

The Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting 2012 was held in Tokyo, Japan, on 10 October.

The main ministerial meeting was preceded by sessions for senior finance officials, central bank governors, and ministers from Commonwealth small and vulnerable economies on 9 October. The meeting’s primary objective was for ministers and officials to discuss practical ways of addressing current challenges faced by their respective economies.

The meetings took place at the Tokyo International Forum, venue of the 2012 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and The World Bank Group.

Key issues discussed included: high levels of youth unemployment; managing increasing volatility and building resilience to deal with exogenous shocks; tracking the progress of managing debt among Commonwealth countries; and strengthening the relationship between the Commonwealth and the G20.

Senior finance officials examined new ways of partnering and harnessing the potential of the private sector and sought to find a common approach to shaping the post-2015 development framework ahead of the target year for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Central bank governors discussed the challenges associated with managing long-term reserves and sovereign wealth funds.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma said: “Commonwealth finance ministers meetings provide a crucial platform for continuing political level engagement and dialogue on G20 issues, and for sustained advocacy aimed at advancing awareness, understanding and support for the concerns of those countries without a seat at the G20 table.”

Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting Press Conference 10 October 2012

Contact:

Julius Mucunguzi
Communications Officer
Communications and Public Affairs Division
Commonwealth Secretariat
Tel: +44 (0)7894 593517
Email: j.mucunguzi@commonwealth.int