EngRegional
Rwanda and CHOGM; a unique opportunity
After
much wait, the dates for the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
(CHOGM) have been announced. Rwanda will be hosting CHOGM during the week of 20
June 2022 after the much-awaited event was postponed due to Covid-19.
This
year’s CHOGM is going to be extremely important and critical for Commonwealth
Member States especially small island states. Member States are still
experiencing the effects of the global pandemic which have been intensified
given the energy shortage and global supply side shock. Apart from the human
tragedy, Covid has resulted into an economic catastrophe especially for small
island states and developing countries. Countries that have an economic
dependency on tourism, most island states, have seen their economies contract
by quite a significant amount which will greatly reduce their capacity to
continue investing in society and in the economy.
The
need for diversification has never been so urgent. Public finances, already
under severe strain, have been hard-hit with debt being a main preoccupation
for leaders. The public health systems have also been under a lot of strain and
the global inequality in vaccination programmes have also put such countries.
The pandemic has not only highlighted the inherent vulnerability but has
underscored the importance as well as the limited resilience that such
countries have. In addition to the global woes brought about by Covid, the
impact of COP-26 will also be a key agenda item at CHOGM. With the final
agreement not living up to the expectation of countries that are suffering the
consequences of climate change, here again small island states primarily from
the Commonwealth, action on this front needs to be stepped up.
Against
this backdrop, the theme for CHOGM 2022 is ‘Delivering a Common Future:
Connecting, Innovating, Transforming.’ Leaders will discuss how to deliver the
things which were discussed at CHOGM 2018 in London, which was on the theme
‘Towards a Common Future’. In my article, I would like to share some
reflections on the theme itself and what way forward one should start planning
for CHOGM to truly be a game changer.
Delivering
There is no doubt that the concept of delivering is going to be an important underlying theme of CHOGM. Governments had to deliver on several strategic and critical issues during the pandemic and the delivery of public services especially in a post-pandemic world is going to central to building back stronger. Here the centre of government and public services will play a key role and digital transformation can support the delivery of services. In fact, e-government needs to have a central place in any recovery plan and strategic vision for a country. Here I believe that the Commonwealth can play a catalyst role by supporting Governments in building their capacity to deliver on essential public services.
Common
The
pandemic has shown the world how much of a common reality we face. In a matter
of months, a virus in China soon brought the world to a grinding halt and the
global economy to a standstill. The climate challenge is also yet another
example of our commonality as a global order and human race. This commonality
should support our efforts to unite and face common challenges that are
abounding and are common in nature.
Recognising
this commonality should also support multilateral efforts in dealing with these
global challenges that otherwise would be impossible to surmount should
countries have to act individually. The pandemic should trigger countries even
more to work together and face our true commonality as one.
Future
The
future remains one which is volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. The
future is also the main driving force that gives us hope to build better
stronger. The world is changing at a fast pace and countries need to be prepared
to face such challenges whilst exploiting opportunities. To truly do this,
countries need to enhance both their resilience and their readiness to the
future especially by future-proofing their economies and societies. The concept
of future-proofing needs to play a key role in the discussions at CHOGM
especially on how to enhance sustainability, inclusivity, and equality.
Education remains the best weapon to face the future and to reduce inequality
and poverty. Futureproofing requires resources and therefore the need of debt
relief, debt restructuring and new forms of finance will also play a central
part of any future-related discussions.
Connecting
We
truly are living in a connecting world. Today not only are we living in a world
were countries and humans are more connected than ever before but technology
such as the Internet of Things means that even devices are connected and part
of our life. This integration of technology and daily life ensures that we can
be connected as never before opening realms of possibilities and opportunity
for sustainability and inclusivity. The level of connectedness is highly
dependent on technology.
Covid
has accelerated the adoption of technology by individuals, firms, and
governments. For an economy that has already embraced and understood that
technology will provide the right competitive advantage, the increased adoption
of technology will not come as a surprise. Going forward, authorities need to
ensure that the digital transformation deepens and that the vision is built
around becoming a digital society whereby community life, business life and
life as citizens become completely intertwined.
Where
possible, blockchain technology needs to be adopted by the public service to
ensure an added level of trust and efficiency All economic sectors have the
potential of embracing technology including agriculture and the coming together
of AI, IoT and blockchain can usher in a digital revolution. This will also
support the establishment of a strong innovation ecosystem which will attract
start-ups as well as researchers in developing new products and services.
Innovation
In
today’s world innovation is key. Being innovative requires a supportive
ecosystem for it to develop and thrive. The world needs innovative people,
firms, industries and economies to develop new solutions to our problems and
challenges. The question that one will naturally ask is, what are the
components for a successful ecosystem-based approach to economic design and
planning?
A good regulatory and legislative framework are central to any ecosystem together with the associated governance and institutional mechanisms. In our experience, we have found that building proactive and innovative regulators is critical to the long-term success of the ecosystem. Regular regulatory reviews and legislative changes to cater for new developments and trends are fundamental for a sector to remain competitive and attractive. Also, regulatory capacity building needs to be regular. In line with this, human talent is also a key pillar of any ecosystem.
