From Delhi – Colonial ties for development?

Namaste from Delhi’s foremost public policy forum, the Raisina Dialogue – a true “Indian Davos” attracting the highest levels of policymakers and analysts working or interested in the South Asian region, and held under the auspices of Indian PM Narendra Modi, who opened the conference, withe Benjamin Netanyahu as guest of honour.

One highlight was discussions around the value of such networks as the Commonwealth – “52 vastly diverse countries – diverse geographically, politically, economically, and culturally – tied together by a shared history, the prevalent use of the English language, and a common legal system”, to quote Manoj Ladwa, who moderated a session on “Re-imagining the Commonwealth for the 21st Century“. This loose network however represents a reservoir of knowledge for information sharing, and a ready diverse market.

It is particularly interesting since six Commonwealth members are fragile states – and an additional three (Sudan, South Sudan, and Somaliland) as prospective members [with Zimbabwe and the Gambia having withdrawn][1]. How can they leverage this network for their development? Can issues of fragility and post-conflict development be brought to the agenda of the Commonwealth Secretariat?