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Commonwealth Secretariat press release

Small States in Transition: From Vulnerability to Competitiveness

16 January 2004

More than 100 senior officials from Commonwealth small states are expected to attend a three day Executive Forum for Small States in Trinidad and Tobago to discuss how they can improve their national export strategy management.  The delegates will come from 28 countries where they are responsible for national economic planning and trade development.  At the Forum in Port of Spain they will focus on developing longer-term national export strategy and identifying areas where aid agencies can intervene to support improved export performance.  The delegates will also share "best practices" in various aspects related to export strategy design and management. 

The meeting, which will be held in the capital of Trinidad and Tobago from 18-21 January 2004, is being organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the International Trade Centre, which is the focal point in the United Nations system for technical co-operation with developing countries in trade promotion.

Speaking today Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Winston Cox said, "We are the only major international organisation that specifically champions the cause of small states. Up to 60 per cent of the Commonwealth Secretariat's technical assistance is currently devoted to small states, mainly in the form of advocacy, policy advice and support for national and regional capacity-building."

Small states face unique challenges in the areas of export development and international competitiveness including disadvantages such as limited institutional capacities, insufficient export diversification, and remoteness from major trading centres.  These challenges make it difficult for small states to integrate effectively in the global economy.

The Forum aims to improve the export performance of small states through a more focused approach to export development and enhanced delivery of trade support services and to strengthen the public-private sector partnership throughout the strategy development process.

 

Some 32 of the Commonwealth's members are categorised as small states because their populations are less than 1.5 million and they are characterised by their vulnerability in the areas of defence, environmental disaster, limited human resources and economic resources. They range in size from micro-states such as St Kitts and Nevis, Nauruand Tuvaluwith less than 50,000 people each, to countries like Botswana, The Gambia and Mauritius.

Note to Editors:
The Commonwealth countries categorised as small states are Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Cyprus, Dominica, Fiji Islands, The Gambia, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Kiribati, Lesotho, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Namibia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Swaziland, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

For further details please contact Marlon Lezama at the Hilton Hotel, Trinidad and Tobago, from 16-21 January on + 1 868 624 3211.

Link: Small States in Transition From Vulnerability to Competitiveness

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ISSUED BY THE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIVISION
Commonwealth Secretariat Marlborough House Pall Mall London SW1Y 5HX United Kingdom
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