Commonwealth launches digital Innovation Hub

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DPI, GUYANA, Monday, April 16, 2018

Commonwealth Secretary-General, RT. Hon. Patricia Scotland, QC, today announced the launching of a digital Commonwealth Innovation Hub, which creates a shared digital space for the 53-member states and over 80 organisations of the Commonwealth to share ideas and unleash their innovation potential in a plethora of areas, including climate change.

The Secretary-General, who was speaking at a press conference hosted on the sidelines of the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London, United Kingdom (UK), said the Innovation Hub is expected to take the Commonwealth nations into the “higher orbit” that constitutes the information age.

She noted that “everything which can be digital should be digital”.

Assistant Secretary-General, Strategy, Portfolio and Partnerships, Nabeel Goheer, said that the Hub also provides the opportunity for countries to showcase what they have to offer in terms of ideas, knowledge, and expertise with the Commonwealth and the wider world.

He said this Hub will become the “Facebook” of the Commonwealth with a special space for young creators, a Commonwealth “tube” of stories, which allows the submission of 30-second video clips of interesting stories and a library of information relating to the Commonwealth.

The Innovation Hub will be available on the Commonwealth’s website under the category “Hot Topics”.

The Commonwealth Secretariat has also partnered with the Global Innovation Fund (GIF) to promote innovation that can accelerate inclusive and equitable socio-economic development across the Commonwealth.

An understanding has been signed between the two organisations to collaborate and mobilise resources to this end.

The two entities will work together to establish the Commonwealth Innovation Fund (CIF), which proposes to use the GIF’s existing due-diligence processes for sourcing, evaluating and investing to generate a high-quality portfolio of enterprises that are aligned with the Commonwealth Secretariat’s priorities.

According to the Commonwealth, the GIF will manage the Fund and its investments, while the Commonwealth Secretariat and CIF donors will play an active role in the governance of the Fund.

Further, the CIF will deploy grant, equity, and debt investments to support innovators across the Commonwealth to accelerate development, testing and scaling up of evidence-based and market-tested innovation.

In addition, Baroness Scotland said this year’s CHOGM will examine matters such as climate change and building resilience, the global technical standards for tackling cybercrime, ocean governance and Commonwealth trade.

Deliberations will also focus on the creation of a regenerative model of development, which seeks to bring together all the elements of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

President David Granger arrives on Tuesday, April 17, and for rest of the week will be participating in the bilateral meetings.

The president is expected to emphasise Guyana’s role and contribution to the ‘Green’ agenda of the Commonwealth.

First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger is accompanying the Head of State and will also be participating in a number of events.

Second Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Audrey Waddell and Guyana’s High Commissioner to London, Frederick Hamley Case are attending CHOGM 2018.

 

By: Stacy Carmichael