News

Apia, Samoa – October 2024 – The Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) 2024, under the theme One Resilient Common Future; Transforming Our Common Wealth, will be held in Samoa on the 23^rd and 24^th of October, marking the first time the forum is hosted in a Small Island Developing State (SIDS). This landmark event will gather over 500 business leaders from over 50 countries, convening experts from the Commonwealth and beyond to address critical global challenges.

The CBF is a pivotal event in the Commonwealth calendar, taking place alongside the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). It serves as a unique platform to bridge the worlds of business and government, creating an environment to foster collaboration and drive economic growth across the Commonwealth’s 56 member countries.

CBF 2024 will focus on five key themes essential to fostering sustainable development and resilience across the Commonwealth: Access to Finance, Reducing Barriers to Trade, Technology & Innovation, Transforming Our Workforce, Sustainability and Resilience.

The Prime Minister of Samoa, The Hon. Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, host of CHOGM and Co-Chair of CBF 2024, highlighted the importance of collective action within the Commonwealth to overcome shared challenges.

“The many challenges that we share – the ongoing impacts of climate disasters, global conflict, lingering COVID-19 effects, economic downturn, high and growing indebtedness, rising inflation, and inequalities – undoubtedly will require a collective and united response. As the Commonwealth, it is up to us to seize this opportunity. Our potential as a Commonwealth family, joined by shared values, interests, and practical advantages, must be realised. Trade is one of the most important things we share. As the Commonwealth, we are in a unique position to unleash the benefits of trade and investment for over one-third of the world’s population.”

Lord Marland, Chair of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) and Co-Chair of the Business Forum, emphasised the significance of bringing CBF to the Pacific.

“Bringing CBF and the whole Commonwealth family to the Pacific, to be hosted on the extraordinary, generous, and welcoming island of Samoa, is an opportunity not to be missed. The Commonwealth’s voice on global issues like climate change, access to finance, and innovation can be a critical tool to ensure some of the world’s most vulnerable states are better served by the global economy. The Commonwealth represents opportunity, and the place to explore that opportunity is in Samoa at the end of October.”

Robert Bradshaw, Chairman, BSP Financial Group Ltd, Anchor partner of CBF expressed the significance of collaboration during the forum.

“BSP is proud to be an anchor partner for the CHOGM Commonwealth Business Forum, contributing to discussions that address global economic and environmental challenges that the Commonwealth is unified in tackling.

Samoa’s historic role as the first small island developing state to host CHOGM highlights the region’s growing influence on our global economies. Through this strategic partnership, BSP reaffirms its leadership in the South Pacific, championing sustainability, fostering economic resilience, and driving prosperity for our people.”

CWEIC, as the Commonwealth’s apex business organisation, operates to help businesses and governments explore these opportunities and drive meaningful progress through collaboration.

We would like to thank all the sponsors of CBF:

• Anchor Partner: BSP Financial Group Ltd.
• Supporters: Federal Pacific Group, Swire Shipping and Tower
• Contributors: Cameroon Investment Promotion Agency and Trade and Investment Queensland

For media inquiries, please contact:

Anna van Harwegen den Breems, anna@cweic.org

About CWEIC:

The Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) is a commercial, not-for-profit membership organisation with an official mandate from the Commonwealth Heads of Government to facilitate trade and investment. With a network of over 140 Strategic Partners from both the public and private sectors, CWEIC helps build vital relationships that drive economic growth and development. The Commonwealth Business Forum (CBF) is one of CWEIC’s flagship events, providing a key platform for collaboration between business leaders and governments from the Commonwealth’s 56 member countries.