State Minister for Finance Zhivargo Laing led The Bahamas’ delegation at the Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting in Washington DC this week. The meeting took place yesterday at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) headquarters in the US Capitol.

Also travelling with Minister Laing were Fiscal Advisor in the Ministry of Finance Robert Henry, Financial Secretary Ehurd Cunningham, and Simon Wilson, from the Ministry of Finance.

At the meeting, which took place during the Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund, Ministers of Finance from around the Commonwealth addressed key contemporary challenges for members of the Commonwealth.

The Ministers discussed strengthening the collaboration between the Commonwealth and the G20 group of nations. Commonwealth heads of government and Finance Ministers have sought to position the Commonwealth as a forum through which members and non-members of the G20 could work together on global economic policy issues. They have noted the need for any system of global economic governance to encompass the views of all countries, and for Commonwealth nations, supported by the Commonwealth Secretariat, to develop an increasingly inclusive process of global governance.

The next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will be held in Perth, Australia, 28-30 October 2011, under the theme of Building National Resilience, Building Global Resilience.

scotterill@dupuch.com

Finance Ministers from the Commonwealth nations pose for a group photograph in Washington DC on September 21, 2011. State Minister for Finance Zhivargo Laing is pictured front row on the left.