The Commonwealth Secretariat has been a pioneer in promoting women's rights and gender equality since the 1976-85 UN Decade for Women, and of gender mainstreaming since the UN 4th World Conference on Women, to which our 1995 Plan of Action on Gender and Development was a Commonwealth contribution. This publication brings together case studies prepared in connection with the end-of-term review of the 2005-15 Commonwealth Plan of Action for Gender Equality. The case studies are based on submissions and interviews with government representatives, gender specialists and other stakeholders,...

This unique annual collection of key economic and statistical data on states with fewer than five million inhabitants is an essential reference for economists, planners and policy-makers working on issues of concern to small states. This volume contains 17 tables covering development indicators and an article focusing on climate change impacts, adaptation and policies for agriculture in African small states.

There are more young people in the world today than ever before. Yet surprisingly little is known about the current state of affairs in youth development. Measuring the well-being of young people continues to be a challenge, even though its importance is widely recognised. The Commonwealth's youth flagship report, the Global Youth Development Index and Report, provides an evidence-based overview of the state of development for the nearly 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 15 and 30 in the world. The Youth Development Index (YDI) is a composite index of 18 indicators that...

The Commonwealth Blue Economy Series aims to support the development of the blue economy in Commonwealth member countries by providing a high-level assessment of the opportunities available for economic diversification and sustainable growth in small island developing states (SIDS). This second volume, Aquaculture, explores the potential for the development of a blue economy mariculture industry, as well as specific enabling conditions that could assist in moving towards economic reality where opportunities exist.

This fifth volume in the Commonwealth Blue Economy Series, Blue Biotechnology, provides a high-level assessment of the opportunities available for economic diversification through the development of a blue biotechnology sector in SIDS for food, health products and pharmaceuticals. It examines relevant examples from around the world, and outlines specific enabling conditions that could assist in moving such a blue biotechnology sector towards becoming an economic reality where opportunities exist.

This third volume in the Commonwealth Blue Economy Series, Capture Fisheries, presents recommendations that could be implemented by SIDS to protect and sustainably develop their capture fisheries within a blue economy model. The book describes some of the challenges faced in managing capture fisheries, the potential for a blue economy approach to making improvements, some suggestions for strategies and activities that could be undertaken by SIDS to further these aims, and a number of case studies illustrating positive actions that have been taken by SIDS and their outcomes.

This fourth volume in the Commonwealth Blue Economy Series, Marine Renewable Energy, explores the potential for the development of the blue economy by providing a high-level review of actions needed to progress marine renewable energy generation in SIDS. Renewable energy is a key component of enabling sustainable development through the decarbonisation of economies and is being progressed in nations globally. Whereas onshore technologies (e.g. solar and wind) are achieving commercial success, most marine technologies remain in the early phases of development. Successful MRE deployment is...

Island nations have benefited from their ocean resources for centuries, with marine uses and activities contributing significantly to their development and overall economies. These include a wide range of maritime sectors essential to both current and future economic development, including: capture fisheries; maritime transport and ports; coastal tourism; mineral exploitation; as well as the marine ecosystems and resources that support them. There a growing appreciation of the critical role the oceans play in sustainable economic growth and, as a corollary, the need to better manage and...

The judiciary plays a central role in enhancing and protecting women's rights, as well as the development and enforcement of formal legal responses to discriminatory and criminal activities, including violence against women (VAW). This book situates VAW in four member countries: Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. By placing VAW within the socio-cultural and legal context of the region, it is hoped that this bench book will enhance the ability of judicial officers to handle cases of VAW, both within a human rights, as well as a gender, perspective. This is a quick and helpful reference book...

Youth Work in the Commonwealth: A Growth Profession establishes a baseline to inform the planning and implementation of initiatives to professionalise youth work in Commonwealth member countries. The study was conducted in 35 countries in the Africa, Asia, the Caribbean/Americas, Europe and Pacific regions. It catalogues the extent to which the youth work profession is formally recognised in these countries and examines the qualities and rights-based ethos of the various forms of youth work promoted and practised in the Commonwealth. The report aims to help countries learn from good...