Windhoek: 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.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Kattumuri made the call in her keynote address at the opening of the Commonwealth Senior Trade Officials Meeting (STOM) in the capital on Monday. The event precedes the Commonwealth Trade Ministers Meeting and the inaugural Commonwealth Business Summit scheduled from 18 to 20 June.
The senior director highlighted the Commonwealth's collective population of 2.7 billion people across five regions, noting that 60 per cent of this population is under 30. She emphasized the importance of transforming shared values into strategies that promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, particularly through trade and investment.
Kattumuri explained that trade and investment serve not just as instruments of economic exchange but also as levers for innovation, resilience, job creation, and environmental stewardship. She addressed the complex global landscape marked by trade tensions, climate instability, evolving technologies, and fragmented markets that are reshaping commerce and investment.
The senior director indicated that the meeting would involve discussions on the challenges and opportunities facing member states. There would be a focus on how to uphold and strengthen the multilateral trading system amidst geopolitical shifts and rising protectionism.
Additionally, Kattumuri noted that the meeting would examine collaboration opportunities in the critical minerals sector. In light of global demand and vast mineral endowments in several member countries, discussions would center on strategies that promote value addition and supply chains benefiting both resource-rich and resource-dependent members.
The discussions are also set to focus on scaling up green trade and the circular economy, fostering innovation, and facilitating access to sustainable finance and green technologies. This includes building long-term Commonwealth cooperation frameworks for trade and investment, leveraging the shared advantage of 21 per cent lower bilateral trade costs.
Opening the event, Namibia's Executive Director in the Ministry of International Relations, Cooperation and Trade, Ndiitah Nghipondoka-Robiati, remarked that the event reflects shared Commonwealth values of inclusion, resilience, and mutual growth, now being mirrored in the trade arena. Namibia and Samoa are co-chairing the Senior Trade Officials Meeting, which concludes on Tuesday.