In July 2015 CAP was invited to represent Commonwealth civil society organisations in preparing representations to the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malta on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed by the United Nations in September 2015. It was a great honour for CAP to be given this significant leadership responsibility and it reflects among other things the substantial and highly successful work which CAP undertook in promoting the need for an urban based SDG (now included as SDG 11).

The Representations were prepared by an Expert Group led by CAPs immediate past President Christine Platt and including Cliff Hague, Paul Taylor, Dyan Currie and Clive Harridge. To help inform the Representations a short questionnaire survey was undertaken of CAP members seeking their views on the SDGs. Contributions were also received from other Commonwealth civil society organisations.

The Representations were presented by Clive Harridge to the Commonwealth’s Committee of the Whole (CoW) at its meeting at Marlborough House, London on 20 October 2015. The CoW comprises of High Commissioners or Heads of Mission from all 54 Commonwealth countries. Clive’s presentation was very well received and the Committee gave strong support to the Representations.

The final document, which was limited to 2 pages, was submitted to Commonwealth Heads of Government in October and is available here:

• CHOGM 2015: Civil Society Statement on the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals: Economic and Social Values

The Representations will next be considered at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta in November.