Commonwealth ready to assist Bangladesh in its democratic transition

As you may know, democracy and good governance are foundational values of the Commonwealth. They are central to the ability of our member countries to build peaceful and prosperous societies.

Today, Bangladesh is engaged in a process of democratic renewal. At a time of great stress for democracies, with declining support for democracy globally and threats of misinformation and disinformation, it was important that I visit to reinforce our shared vision of improving the lives of the Bangladeshi people through democracy. The goal of my visit is consistent with the new five-year Commonwealth Strategic Plan, which has been endorsed by all Commonwealth countries, including Bangladesh.

My visit will therefore afford me the opportunity to engage with a wide range of stakeholders to understand the context first-hand and explore where we can offer support towards realising the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh for democracy, good governance and sustainable development.

This is an important moment in the country’s national journey. As Bangladesh looks ahead to its general election next year, I send my best wishes to its people. I want to assure them that they can always count on the Commonwealth as a trusted partner in their efforts to build an inclusive and prosperous future for all.

Bangladesh is our fourth most populous member and our sixth largest economy. So, Bangladesh naturally plays a significant role in our Commonwealth family. This includes expanding intra-Commonwealth trade and attracting high-impact investment that moves millions into the middle class, investing in youth skills and entrepreneurship, and driving climate action.

Let me focus on the areas that align most closely with our new Strategic Plan.

Under our economic resilience pillar, Bangladesh’s transformation over the past few decades stands out. Moving from a largely agricultural economy to becoming an industrial leader, especially in textiles, is a remarkable achievement. This shift has created millions of jobs, many for women, and opened doors to real social mobility and inclusion. That kind of people-centred economic resilience is exactly what we want to support across the Commonwealth.

On the environmental resilience pillar, I see real leadership in Bangladesh. At a time when many countries are trying to restore the mangroves they once had, Bangladesh is protecting the world’s largest mangrove forest. And its investments in renewable energy are changing daily life in rural areas.

These are truly commendable steps. These are the kind of wins we want to help scale in our member countries. And to give a concrete example of what that looks like under our new Strategic Plan, we are developing a new Clean Energy Credit Programme. It is carefully designed to help developing members shift to renewables in a way that supports local jobs, businesses and climate goals.

Our democratic resilience pillar is critically important. We are now in the nineteenth consecutive year of global democratic decline. Bangladesh’s own democratic journey will continue to shape its long-term future. Our role remains standing with the people of Bangladesh and offering support in any way we can, as they navigate this journey.

Transitions are never simple. History has taught us that progress is not linear. We have seen more recently that even long-standing democracies must keep working to protect rights, institutions and public trust. So, when one of our members enters a period of transition, the Commonwealth stands ready to assist.

Across our family, from Guyana to Ghana, we have supported countries through transitions by supporting democratic culture, institutional governance, and constructive political dialogue. Thankfully, the challenges tend to be similar, so we offer opportunities for countries to learn the lessons and best practices from across the Commonwealth, in addition to other forms of support.

At a time of sustained global decline in democratic indicators, we are deepening this work under the democracy pillar of our new Strategic Plan.
Our support can take many forms depending on what a country needs. We help with legislative reform or technical capacity. We use our Good Offices to encourage inclusive dialogue and national unity.

But we always begin by listening. Guided by the Commonwealth Charter, we engage national stakeholders to understand their priorities and then explore, together, what kind of support would be most useful in moments of transition and beyond.

There are more than 1.6 billion young people in our Commonwealth. They are our superpower. Bangladesh, with one of the largest youth populations, is a big part of that superpower. I know young Bangladeshis are already utilising that power.

At the same time, the question for all of us remains – how do we make sure young people are not treated as bystanders but as active co-architects of nation-building, especially in periods of transition?

That is why the needs of young people feature across our new Strategic Plan.

That means listening more, creating genuine space for participation, and ensuring that the issues young people care about are reflected in decision-making at all levels. Their ideas, energy and leadership are not optional; they are essential.

We saw this first-hand in Dhaka earlier this year. Nearly 100 young leaders from across Bangladesh joined our Commonwealth workshop, delivered with the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

They brought forward practical ways to advance the values of the Commonwealth Charter in their own communities. Their energy reminded me of the enormous potential Bangladesh’s youth holds.

Bangladesh is on the frontline of climate impacts - and so are many of our Commonwealth countries.

Many vulnerable countries cannot wait for years for the climate finance and technology they need to deal with the intensifying impacts of climate change.

That is why environmental resilience is a core pillar of our new Strategic Plan.

One of our most practical tools is the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub. Through this Hub, we place expert advisers directly inside government ministries to help design strong, fundable climate proposals.

We know this model is working. In the past ten years, the Hub has helped unlock over US$500 million in climate finance. Countries are using these resources to strengthen resilience, protect communities and build climate-smart economies.

That is why we have doubled down on this work and deployed advisers to more countries than ever before, including in regional organisations.
We also lean on partners for support. We continue to work with strategic partners and like-minded organisations to raise awareness of the impact that is possible for environmental resilience when countries have access to fair finance for climate fightback. As I mentioned earlier, this includes a renewable energy revolution across the Commonwealth.