First South Asian Economic Summit
Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Date: 28 – 30 August 2008
The South Asian Economic Summit is the first of its kind for the region and is being organised by the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka together with the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka. Its purpose is to discuss prospects for accelerating the process of economic cooperation and regional integration in the South Asian region. The Commonwealth Secretariat’s Director of Economic Affairs, Indrajit Coomaraswamy, is expected to chair one of the first sessions, ‘Trade in Services in South Asia.’. The event will be attended by participants from all seven South Asian countries (and Afghanistan) and will also bring together a cross section of stakeholders from governments, the private sector and research institutes in the region.

Special Meeting of Commonwealth Heads of Government
Location: UN Building, New York
Date: 24 September 2008
Commonwealth Heads of Government will meet to discuss progress towards the Millennium Development Goals and the role that the Commonwealth can play in achieving these Goals by 2015; the outcomes of the Heads’ discussions will be carried forward to the UN High Level Event on the MDGs which is due to take place the following day.
Heads will also consider ways of working together to pursue their shared aim of reforming international financial institutions so that they better meet contemporary needs, including enhanced support for small states and developing states. Finally, Heads will consider the impact of high food and associated input prices, and the Commonwealth’s role in addressing the challenges and opportunities for increasing global food production. Heads will also be briefed on outcomes from the Commonwealth Foreign Ministers meeting, which is also taking place earlier in the day on 24 September.

Full list of events

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