CHOGM 2018 OUTCOMES: A VIEW FROM INDIA
CHOGM 2018 OUTCOMES: A VIEW FROM INDIA
Hon. Rajiv Pratap Rudy, MP is a Member
of Lok Sabha in the India Parliament and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources. He has served as a Minister for Skills Development and Entrepreneurship in Prime Minister Modi’s government. He has served five terms in Parliament including both in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. He has had many party roles including National General Secretary and he is a qualified pilot - flying fighter aircraft in the Indian Air Force, supersonic jets and passenger airplanes.
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) has proved to be a time-tested platform where both advanced economies and developing countries come together to build, renew, and redefine links with the group’s 53-member states spanning across six continents. The inaugural Commonwealth Parliamentarians’ Forum in London, UK from 26 February to 1 March 2018 organised by the CPA UK Branch and the UK Parliament was a precursor to the main CHOGM 2018 which was also attended by the Honorable Prime Minister of India, Hon. Narendra Modi in April 2018. I had the privilege to lead the delegation to the Commonwealth Parliamentarians’ Forum in February on behalf of the Indian Parliament as nominated by the Honorable Speaker of Lok Sabha, Smt. Sumitra Mahajan. Several topics were discussed during the twelve sessions which were spread over four days. Climate change; the uncertain international situation due to protectionist trends; the WTO’s developmental agenda; cybersecurity; mounting threats of international terrorism; and the public health crisis especially in developing countries were some of the major challenges deliberated upon during the meeting. The Commonwealth theme for 2018 was ‘Towards a Common Future’ and the discussion was around the general theme of: 1. A more sustainable future 2. A fairer future 3. A more secure future
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4. A more prosperous future. Considering that 31 out of the 53 Commonwealth countries are small states, with a population of under 1.5 million, India and the UK have jointly committed to building cybersecurity capacity and helping the smaller member states in implementing the global Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), which aims to streamline customs procedures, cut red tape at the border, and lower trade costs by providing necessary technical assistance. Commonwealth leaders have agreed to lend their support to advancing WTO negotiations and the Doha Round Agenda (or Doha Development Agenda) in particular. As part of a pledge for clean and sustainable energy, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande launched the International Solar Alliance (ISA) at the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference in Paris. The ISA is an initiative that works for efficient usage of solar energy by reducing the dependence on fossil fuels. Many Commonwealth countries are members of the International Solar Alliance. This is a major milestone to address the climate change goals as well as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the majority of countries are firmly of the opinion that the developed countries should play a major role in combating climate change to ensure the equity and growth of developing countries. For the combined Commonwealth population of
2.4 billion, it is imperative that the Commonwealth focuses on bringing greater economic prosperity for the people through an enhanced trade and investment relationship. It is to be noted here that 25 countries of the Commonwealth are small island developing states (SIDS). Therefore, considerable energy should be channeled towards the promotion of sustainable development and maritime security, which pose existential challenges to many of these small and island states. Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi during the CHOGM 2018 not only stressed the need to focus on providing developmental assistance to small island states but also announced the doubling of India’s contribution to the Commonwealth fund for technical cooperation and capacity building of these small states and small island developing states that are part of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth forums on Business, People, Youth and Women offer an excellent opportunity for a wider debate on some of the key issues and challenges facing the member countries. Half of the top 20 global emerging cities and UN peacekeeping contributions are from the Commonwealth. The combined GDP of Commonwealth countries was estimated to be USD $10.4 trillion in 2017 and is predicted to reach USD $13 trillion by 2020. Intra-Commonwealth trade was estimated to be USD $0.5