Commonwealth leaders call for concerted efforts for inclusive growth

Commonwealth leaders on Sunday warned that rising inequality at both international and national levels has implications for poverty reduction and future growth potentials of member states, although accelerating growth has become central to policy efforts globally. The leaders agreed that achieving growth with equity and inclusivity must be one of the main policy priorities for the Commonwealth, according to the Colombo Declaration on Sustainable, Inclusive and Equitable Development, one of the key documents adopted at the end of the three-day Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The leaders noted that improving access to productive employment is a critical element to achieve equitable growth, and improvements in employability are largely linked to access to quality education, skills development, better health care, and equitable access to resources. "We agree to take concerted efforts to create productive employment with equitable access to all, to achieve inclusive growth," the declaration says.