We are finally meeting again!
About the Commonwealth Business Forum
The Commonwealth Business Forum 2022 (CBF 2022) will be the first & largest in-person gathering for Governments & Business across the Commonwealth since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The CBF 2022 experience has been designed to provide different ways to create meaningful connections, exchange knowledge, contribute to impactful dialogue and consume information.
Hosted as a partnership between the Government of Rwanda and Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) this year’s forum will address the CHOGM theme ‘Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming’, with a focus on “A Global Reset”, dealing with the impact of the pandemic and the Commonwealth’s role in rebuilding and reinvigorating the global economy.
There’s nothing quite like the power of in-person collaboration, engaged discourse and the big ideas generated from these engagements that will shape the shared future of the Commonwealth.
Who is attending
- Heads of State and Government
- Ministers & Senior Government Officials
- Eminent leaders of global & regional development institutions
- Captains of Industry & Board level business leaders
- Innovators across all sectors
- Impact investors
- Venture capitalists & angel investors
- Champions of Youth entrepreneurship
- Champions of Gender inclusion & equality
- Representatives of Trade organisations
Keynote Speakers
"Rwanda is pleased to welcome all delegates and participants to Kigali for a safe and productive CHOGM Rwanda 2022. The last two years have made it clear to us that we are more connected than ever before and we must work together to achieve the tangible and sustainable results we want. The long awaited meeting will be an important occasion to come together to address the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and to build on innovative technological and economic opportunities to solve other key problems facing our citizens."
H.E. Paul Kagame
President of the Republic of Rwanda & Incoming ChairRt Hon Patricia Scotland QC
Commonwealth Secretary-General
Lord Marland
Chairman, Commonwealth Enterprise & Investment Council
Clare Akamanzi
CEO, Rwanda Development Board
Why you need to be at the Commonwealth Business Forum
- Meet and connect with like-minded experts and practitioners
- Contribute to and shape policy, programme & partnership agendas
- Join new business communities across the commonwealth & thrive
- Discover new markets & opportunities across the Commonwealth
Programme
Delivering a Common Future: Transforming for Gender Equality
Serena Hotel, Kigali, Rwanda, 20 – 21 June 2022
Monday,
20 June 2022
Tuesday,
21 June 2022
09h00 – 10h30
Opening Session and Reflections on Gender Equality and Women’s Rights 2020-2030
10h30 – 11h00
Official Photo and Networking Refreshment Break
11am - 11.30am
Networking break & Exhibition tours
11h00 – 12h30
Women in leadership: Beyond numbers [Session Lead: CPA]
12h30 – 13h30
Lunch
13h30 – 15h00
Women’s Economic Empowerment: Breaking the Barriers [Session Lead: CBWN]
This discussion will explore new concepts & frameworks to capitalize on trade agreements, the Commonwealth Advantage and the Commonwealth Network with an emphasis on:
• Open markets
• Value chain
• Financing trade
Action Track: Connecting the Commonwealth
Location: Akagera Hall, KCEV
Commonwealth Trade: Challenging Protectionisms and Reducing the Barriers to Business
As the world recovers, free trade areas and reducing barriers to cross-border trade is more critical than ever – how can the Commonwealth challenge rising protectionism?
Most Commonwealth
Countries are members of Free Trade Zones, and 19 are members of the world’s newest AfCFTA. What lessons can be learnt from existing Common markets and how can we apply them to make Commonwealth
trade easier?
This session will explore new concepts & frameworks to capitalize on trade agreements, the Commonwealth Advantage and the Commonwealth Network.
Positioning the Commonwealth for the Future of Work
The future of work is being shaped by two powerful forces: The growing adoption of artificial intelligence in the workplace, and the expansion of the workforce to include both on- and off-balance-sheet talent. Changes are taking place in workplace, the workforce, and the nature of work itself? This session will discuss how the Commonwealth can prepare itself for the skills of the future and explore what talent mobility looks like in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Action Track: Transforming the Commonwealth
Location: Kigali Hall, KCEV
Innovation Avenue Mixer: Innovation in the Commonwealth
20 curated investors within the ICT sector will be invited for a curated tour of the exhibition with an emphasis on the innovation zones.
A panel will also take place in the Disrupt
Pod where 3 of the financiers will share their views on how they select which start-ups they will invest in.
This will be followed by a 1 hour mixer in Innovation Avenue zone
with the financiers and additional start invited -up companies from the Commonwealth.
Track: Innovating for the Commonwealth
Location: Disrupt Hub, Virunga Hall, KCEV
Thought leadership: Innovating for Food Security Think Tank
The term food security revolves around the terms of access to food, availability of food, and climate-smart farming.
The intersection between innovation & agriculture is more pertinent
than ever. Several digital innovations have been implemented in various countries.
This think Tank, consisting of experts in the Food Security & Food Systems ecosystem, will
explore a range of issues around policy, digital implementation strategies, successful use cases with a view to propose pathways to research & advocate for digital innovations solution
tackle.
The expect outcome is a set of recommendations for further discussion with relevant stakeholders within the Commonwealth & beyond.
Action Track: Transforming the Commonwealth
Location: Urukari Hall, KCEV
3.30pm
Networking break & Exhibition tours
4pm – 5.30pm
The Business of Sustainable Fashion
The fashion industry has been a major contributor to climate change and biodiversity loss. The industry’s sustainability efforts are critical to the planet’s health.
This session
will feature a series of Ted-talk style presentations from players in the fashion industry who will share their journey and lessons learnt on their path to contributing to transforming
the industry. It will be followed by a 30 mins interactive discussion with the audience.
Track: Transforming the Commonwealth
Location: Akagera Hall, KCEV
4pm – 6pm
Field visit: Innovation Hub
• Tour
• Meet & greet
• Presentation from one hub member
• Networking mixer
Track: Innovating for the Commonwealth
Location: Departure from KCEV
6pm - 8pm
Cocktail reception
8am – 9.30am
Exhibition tours & Sponsored working breakfasts
9.30am – 11am
Ecosystems: Redesigning Global Value Chains in a Post-COVID World
Hybrids between centralization and decentralization of processes can be observed in 4IR environments.
The post covid world and emerging digital technologies are influencing the design
of ecosystems in global value chains and thus their policies. The new global landscape is challenging Emerging Markets and Development Economy (EMDE) governments to reassess their national
competitive advantages and development strategies.
This session will feature a series of conversations with policy experts and thought leaders who will share insights into how
policy-makers can analyze connectedness, capabilities and competitiveness.
Track: Connecting the Commonwealth
Location: Kigali Hall, KCEV
Governance for the Future: Are we prepared?
Too often, governance and regulation struggles to keep up with innovation. New ideas, products, and business models are hampered, while citizens are left with outdated protections.
As the Fourth Industrial Revolution takes hold, how will the Commonwealth gain a competitive advantage in the global economy through a more agile regulatory approach? How can a seamless
regulatory landscape tackle barriers to trade and cooperation?
This session will debate on:
• Systematic measures needed to enhance foresight
• “Outcome-focused” regulation
• Creating a space to experiment and scale
• Leveraging data to fuel innovation enabling regulation
• Highlighting the role of the private sector in enabling seamless regulatory
transitions and tackling barriers to trade and cooperation.
Track: Transforming the Commonwealth
Location: Akagera Hall, KCEV
9.30am – 1pm
Field visit: Agribusiness
• Tour
• Meet & greet
• Presentations
Track: Innovating for the Commonwealth
Location: Departure from KCEV
11am - 11.30am
Networking break & Exhibition tours
11.30am – 1pm
Our Common Health: Delivering Equitable Healthcare
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the health & livelihoods of Commonwealth citizens and world alike. When it comes to a pandemic, we need a global approach towards enhanced
cooperation.
As we go through the third year of the pandemic, what lessons have we learnt to re-imagine healthcare across the Commonwealth?
How do we solve the glaring
inequities the pandemic brought to the forefront such as access to treatments, live saving equipment & vaccines?
Track: Innovating for the Commonwealth
Akagera Hall, KCEV
Innovation in Financing and FinTech, Supporting Sustainable Growth
How do we finance the next stage of sustainable growth? As the world recovers, do we need to rely on traditional financing methods or can we utilise new technologies and systems? This session
will look at the role Government must play to harness innovation and facilitate growth.
What role does FinTech such as Crypto, AI and Blockchain play in growing the economy,
and how can governments create the infrastructure to help it thrive. How do cross-party stakeholders work together to support an industry in rapid growth, while protecting consumers and
a fair tax take?
Impact Investments: Everything you need to know about Investing for Impact
Today’s philanthropists and impact investors are aligning their capital to the Sustainable Development Goals to weigh their financial return on investments alongside environmental and social
returns.
They are making impact investments to unleash the power of capital for good.
These investments are made with the intention to generate positive, measurable
social and environmental impact alongside a financial return.
This curated interactive workshop will answer pertinent questions in the world of impact investments – from what
they are, who is funding them, financial performance, market size and opportunities.
Transforming the Commonwealth
Location: Disrupt Hub, Virunga Hall, KCEV
Thought leadership: Skills for the Future Think Tank
With 2.4 billion citizens spanning 5 continents, the Commonwealth's greatest strength lies in its people, 60% of whom are under the age of 30. What does the future of work hold for the next
generations? Are our academic institutions producing young people with the skills and knowledge required for their future? How can business and government collaborate to deliver on the
promise of the Commonwealth’s youth?
This closed session will invite policy makers, academics, thought leaders in the fields of education & private sector players to discuss /
debate the issue.
The expect outcome is a set of recommendations for further discussion with relevant stakeholders within the Commonwealth & beyond.
Transforming the Commonwealth
Location: Disrupt Hub, Virunga Hall, KCEV
1pm - 2pm
Networking break & Exhibition tours
2pm – 3.30pm
Bridging the Digital Divide
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the transition towards a global digital economy. The world’s increased reliance on technology has laid bare the divide between those who can access the
digital ecosystem & and those who cannot.
How can the Commonwealth Advantage promote business investment opportunities in digital solutions, services & infrastructure? How can
the private sector across the Commonwealth gain from these opportunities?
Track: Connecting the Commonwealth
Location: Akagera Hall, Virunga
Champions for Green
This session will bring together actors within the blue and green economy ecosystem.
The event will consist of a workshop exchanging ideas for core economic policy for growth and
how to make that growth greener.
Track: Transforming the Commonwealth
Disrupt Hub, Virunga Hall, KCEV
Thought leadership: Standards and Regulations
Trade across borders flows more easily with a common set of standards and regulations. How does the Commonwealth ensure that standards encourage trade, give consumers confidence and add value
for producers without them serving to protect markets for incumbents?
Focusing on the Commonwealth Standard Network launched at CHOGM 2018 in London, this session will be developed
in partnership with the UK’s British Standards Institution (BSI), with the support of the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and will look at the next two stages of the
programme.
Track: Transforming the Commonwealth
Location: Urukari, KCEV
2pm – 4pm
Field visit: The Business of Healthcare
• Tour
• Meet & greet
• Presentations
Transforming the Commonwealth
Location: Departure from KCEV
3.30pm - 4pm
Networking break & Exhibition tours
4pm - 5.30pm
Financing Blue-Green Growth for Sustainable Islands
The unique characteristics of small islands present both benefits and vulnerabilities. How can green financing solutions such as ‘The Commonwealth Green Finance Facility’ help islands use
their size and agility to accelerate their uptake of Nature Based Solutions and transform their reliance on tourism and shipping into blue-green growth?
What are the other opportunities
available for clean growth that drive economic development and ecological resilience on land and sea?
Track: Transforming the Commonwealth
Akagera Hall, Virunga
Sustainable Tourism
Tourism is a ‘supergrowth industry’ and a vital pillar of many Commonwealth countries.
In this session, Commonwealth industry leaders will share their future strategies to revitalise
tourism and revive ancillary sectors, including transport and hospitality.
Now that health protocols can ensure a degree of physical safety, how can the industry overcome concerns
and instil confidence in renewed international travel?
The session will also unpack how Commonwealth countries will ensure that the efforts towards tourism recovery and growth
prioritise sustainable tourism and conversation.
Track: Innovating for the Commonwealth
Location: Kigali Hall, Virunga
6.30pm – 9.30pm
Gala Dinner
8am – 9.30am
Exhibition tours & Sponsored working breakfasts
9.30am – 11am
Future Cities: Sustainable Urbanisation
Urbanisation is one of the great challenges and opportunities of our time. How do we ensure our rapidly expanding cities give decent places to live, move populations safely, provide jobs and foster innovation? How do the new cities we need protect and improve the environment for future generations?
Track: Transforming the Commonwealth
Location: Akagera Hall, KCEV
11am - 11.30am
Networking break & Exhibition tours
11.30am – 1pm
Closing Ceremony:
A Challenge to the Commonwealth: Towards a Sustainable World
HRH The Prince of Wales launched The Great Reset in 2020 and Terra Carta in January 2021 as an appeal to bring prosperity in harmony with nature. Rwanda, in its role as Chair-in-Office will be setting the Commonwealth’s biennial agenda during this historic juncture. How does the family of 54 Commonwealth nations, under Rwanda’s leadership, achieve a step-change in the renewal of the Commonwealth, towards collective prosperity, economic sustainability and societal resilience?
Track: Transforming the Commonwealth
Location: Akagera Hall, KCEV
1pm – 2pm
Networking lunch & Entertainment
Location: Virunga Hall, KCEV
2pm – 4pm
Heads of Government and CEOs Roundtable
Attending the forum
Non-Rwanda Residents
$450 per delegate
Groups of 5 or more (Non-Rwandan residents)
$350 per delegate
Rwanda residents
$250 per delegate