Governance – the Commonwealth context

Governance and the impact of the Commonwealth

Max Everest-Phillips, with contributions from David Waung and Vijay Krishnarayan

Governance – namely the use of public authority for the common good – comprises the processes and institutions through which citizens and groups articulate interests, exercise rights, meet obligations and mediate differences. More…

The litmus test of governance: Progress on achieving the MDGs in the Commonwealth

Economic Affairs Division, Commonwealth Secretariat

This paper provides a short overview of global progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and then proceeds to review progress by goal within the Commonwealth. More

Promoting equitable governance in the Commonwealth

Esther Eghobamien

The Commonwealth’s shared histories and values are guided by the recognition that democracy and development are interdependent. The 1991 Harare Declaration affirms that genuine democratic elections must contribute to women’s empowerment and strengthen gender mainstreaming at all levels of decision-making. More…

Why civil society matters for improving governance

Duncan Green

Civil society organisations (CSOs) are becoming more influential across the developing world, their political activity taking place outside the channels of formal politics. The events of the Arab Spring are merely the latest reminder that active citizens play a defining role in the development of their societies. More…

Social media, democracy and good governance

Tim Unwin

The creation of new forms of digital social media during the first decade of the 21st century has transformed the ways in which many people communicate and share information. More…

Reflecting both sides of the coin: The importance of gender-responsive budgets

Jo-Ann Sneddon

Traditionally a country’s national budget outlines the government’s view of the socio-economic state of the nation by declaring the government’s fiscal, financial and economic objectives and identifying their social and economic objectives. Until the Commonwealth Secretariat’s work in the late 1980s, this view had been deeply gender-biased. More…

Reinventing trust: The political-administrative interface in Caribbean small states

Joan Nwasike

This paper discusses the issue of trust between the political and administrative directorates in small states of the Commonwealth Caribbean and raises questions about the dominant analytical paradigm based on legal, institutional and sociological approaches to trust. More…

Governance in the Caribbean: Challenges and prospects

Wendy C Grenade

The year 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of the collapse of the West Indies Federation abd the beginning of the independence in the Commonwealth Caribbean. The current historical moment provides a good opportunity to reflect on some of the challenges to governance in the Caribbean region and prospects for the way forward. More…

Governance in vulnerable small state: Commonwealth assistance to hurricane-ravaged Grenada

Pauline Campbell

Immediately after the devastation of Grenada’s infrastructure brought on by Hurrican Ivan in 2004, the Commonwealth Secretariat provided engineering and architectural assistance for the redevelopment of the island’s infrastructure. More…