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The Commonwealth Secretariat’s Senior Director of Economic, Youth and Sustainable Development, Ruth Kattumuri, has urged member states to translate shared values into strategies for inclusive, sustainable economic growth through trade and investment, thereby harnessing their demographic dividend.
Kattumuri made the call in her keynote address at the opening of the Commonwealth Senior Trade Officials Meeting (STOM) in the capital on Monday, ahead of the Commonwealth Trade Ministers Meeting and the inaugural Commonwealth Business Summit taking place from 18 to 20 June.
The senior director noted that the Commonwealth, with a collective population of 2.7 billion people across five regions – 60% of whom are under 30 – must harness this demographic dividend. This can be achieved by transforming shared values into strategies that actively promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
She further explained that trade and investment are not only instruments of economic exchange but also levers for innovation, resilience, job creation and environmental stewardship.
“As we convene today, the world stands at a complex crossroads. Trade tensions including tariff escalations, shifts in regional dynamics, climate instability, evolving technologies, and fragmented global markets are reshaping the future of commerce and investment,” she said.
Kattumuri indicated that the meeting would involve discussions on the challenges and opportunities facing member states and explore how to uphold and strengthen the multilateral trading system at a time when geopolitical shifts and rising protectionism are testing its very foundations.
She further noted that the meeting would also examine how the Commonwealth can collaborate to unlock opportunities in the critical minerals sector, stating that in the face of global demand and vast mineral endowments in several member countries, strategies must promote value addition and supply chains that benefit both resource-rich and resource-dependent members.
She added that discussions would focus on scaling up green trade and the circular economy, fostering innovation and facilitating access to sustainable finance and green technologies. This includes further engagement in building long-term Commonwealth cooperation frameworks for trade and investment, leveraging the shared advantage of 21% lower bilateral trade costs.
“These meetings are a critical opportunity to strengthen our cooperation and define practical pathways forward,” she said.
Opening the event, Namibia’s Executive Director in the Ministry of International Relations, Cooperation and Trade, Ndiitah Nghipondoka-Robiati, said the event reflects shared Commonwealth values of inclusion, resilience and mutual growth, which are now being mirrored in the trade arena.
Namibia and Samoa are co-chairing the Senior Trade Officials Meeting, which concludes on Tuesday.
-Nampa