Nov 17, 2013 (LBO) – Leaders of Commonwealth nations have issued a declaration after meeting in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo calling for ‘equitable’ growth, better education and inclusivity for women, youth and the disabled.
The full statement is reproduced below:-
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)
15-17 November, 2013
Colombo Declaration on Sustainable, Inclusive and Equitable Development
1. We, the Commonwealth Heads of Government, recognise that accelerating growth has become central to policy efforts globally.
However, we note that rising inequality at both international and national levels has implications for poverty reduction and future growth potentials of member states.
Countries grappling with natural and man-made disasters and other pressing global challenges are the worst affected. This situation has led to the economic marginalisation of societies, within and among countries. Therefore, we agree that achieving growth with equity and inclusivity must be one of the main policy priorities for the Commonwealth, in keeping with its Charter adopted in December 2012.
2. We express our deep concern about the adverse impacts of the world financial and economic cr