WEBVTT 00:00:00.170 --> 00:00:03.069 Welcome to Drumbeats, the must -listen -to podcast 00:00:03.069 --> 00:00:05.710 which explains why Indigenous partnerships are 00:00:05.710 --> 00:00:08.689 the key to securing successful outcomes in natural 00:00:08.689 --> 00:00:11.070 resource and infrastructure investment in Canada. 00:00:12.750 --> 00:00:15.349 I'm Mark McNack and my co -host Robert Brandt 00:00:15.349 --> 00:00:17.109 and I are joined today by a truly distinguished 00:00:17.109 --> 00:00:22.190 guest, Samantha Cohen, CVO OB and the new Chief 00:00:22.190 --> 00:00:24.809 Executive of the Commonwealth Enterprise Investment 00:00:24.809 --> 00:00:29.019 Council, CWIC. With more than 30 years of experience 00:00:29.019 --> 00:00:31.640 advising heads of state, senior government leaders, 00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:34.700 and global business executives, Sam brings a 00:00:34.700 --> 00:00:37.520 rare global perspective to today's conversation. 00:00:38.320 --> 00:00:41.439 In this episode, we get behind the scenes of 00:00:41.439 --> 00:00:44.420 CWIC, the self -funded business arm of the Commonwealth, 00:00:44.659 --> 00:00:47.759 to uncover how it facilitates real trade and 00:00:47.759 --> 00:00:51.840 investment partnerships across more than 55 nations. 00:00:52.299 --> 00:00:55.179 From connecting Australian innovation with Asian 00:00:55.179 --> 00:00:57.640 markets, to bridging Indigenous knowledge with 00:00:57.640 --> 00:01:00.939 global opportunity, CWIC is reshaping what international 00:01:00.939 --> 00:01:05.340 trade can look like when values and value align. 00:01:05.920 --> 00:01:09.400 Sam shares why the Commonwealth offers a 21 % 00:01:09.400 --> 00:01:12.859 trade advantage, what Canada has been missing 00:01:12.859 --> 00:01:14.859 in one of the world's fastest growing economic 00:01:14.859 --> 00:01:18.659 networks, and how Indigenous partnerships can 00:01:18.659 --> 00:01:21.140 help position Canada at the forefront of sustainable 00:01:21.140 --> 00:01:25.900 global trade. In the 90s, Canada was very active 00:01:25.900 --> 00:01:29.859 in the Commonwealth. Will Canada regain its leadership 00:01:29.859 --> 00:01:33.000 role in one of the most active business networks 00:01:33.000 --> 00:01:37.439 in the world today? So, we're very pleased today 00:01:37.439 --> 00:01:40.819 to have with us Sam Cohen, CEO of the Commonwealth 00:01:40.819 --> 00:01:44.159 Enterprise and Investment Council. Welcome to 00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:47.040 our podcast, Sam. Thank you, Mark. It's great 00:01:47.040 --> 00:01:51.280 to be here. Sam, you've recently rejoined the 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:56.400 Commonwealth Enterprise Council. CWEIC, and you 00:01:56.400 --> 00:01:59.299 were actually in that leadership role a few years 00:01:59.299 --> 00:02:01.959 ago. Can you give us a little background about 00:02:01.959 --> 00:02:05.019 yourself and your career to date? You have a 00:02:05.019 --> 00:02:07.719 great background to be in a leadership position 00:02:07.719 --> 00:02:11.120 of the Commonwealth, of course. Thank you, Mark. 00:02:11.439 --> 00:02:15.639 Yes, I'm delighted to be back at CWEIC, the Commonwealth 00:02:15.639 --> 00:02:18.300 Enterprise and Investment Council, which is always 00:02:18.300 --> 00:02:24.460 a mouthful for people. And I was... CEO of CWIC, 00:02:24.460 --> 00:02:31.120 as we call it, back in early 2020. And I think 00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:35.080 about a week after I joined, COVID struck. So 00:02:35.080 --> 00:02:38.780 I had signed up to run a trade and investment 00:02:38.780 --> 00:02:41.979 organization which specialized in taking trade 00:02:41.979 --> 00:02:44.659 missions around the world and matchmaking people 00:02:44.659 --> 00:02:47.319 across 56 countries of the Commonwealth. And 00:02:47.319 --> 00:02:51.199 I sat in my bedroom for a few years, which was 00:02:51.199 --> 00:02:55.259 fantastic because it really forced us to pivot 00:02:55.259 --> 00:02:58.080 the business online as the whole world was doing. 00:02:58.280 --> 00:03:02.539 And I hope that we were able to add value, not 00:03:02.539 --> 00:03:05.000 in the way we used to add value, but really our 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:08.840 remit is to facilitate trade and investment and 00:03:08.840 --> 00:03:13.240 to... create jobs and economic prosperity and 00:03:13.240 --> 00:03:16.919 opportunities. So that was the first time I was 00:03:16.919 --> 00:03:19.560 involved with CWIC. And it's such a great team 00:03:19.560 --> 00:03:23.439 and an opportunity came up to step back into 00:03:23.439 --> 00:03:26.680 the role. And I felt that this was a very good 00:03:26.680 --> 00:03:30.539 time, actually, because I think there's been 00:03:30.539 --> 00:03:33.319 a huge shift in geopolitics. I think there are 00:03:33.319 --> 00:03:35.439 lots of things happening on the trade front as 00:03:35.439 --> 00:03:38.819 we're all experiencing. And I felt that there 00:03:38.819 --> 00:03:41.939 was... a huge momentum in the Commonwealth that 00:03:41.939 --> 00:03:45.159 I hadn't seen actually for a few years. I've 00:03:45.159 --> 00:03:47.800 been working in the Commonwealth space for more 00:03:47.800 --> 00:03:51.000 than 20 years, and it felt like a renewed energy 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:55.740 and a sense of collaboration. And that's possibly 00:03:55.740 --> 00:03:58.960 the result of the external factors that are going 00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:01.919 on in other parts of the world. And I think, 00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:03.599 you know, people in the Commonwealth have thought, 00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:06.280 well, we've got a new set of challenges, so we 00:04:06.280 --> 00:04:10.240 should really... tackle these together. And I 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:14.180 think that it was that sense of energy and opportunity 00:04:14.180 --> 00:04:18.500 that drew me back. Yes. And I also think you 00:04:18.500 --> 00:04:20.920 have, you're from the Southern Hemisphere originally 00:04:20.920 --> 00:04:23.639 and been in the Northern Hemisphere. Can you 00:04:23.639 --> 00:04:26.319 tell us, our listeners and viewers would love 00:04:26.319 --> 00:04:28.959 to know a little bit about more about you, Sam? 00:04:29.600 --> 00:04:33.199 Oh, goodness. Well, I've spent most of my career, 00:04:33.439 --> 00:04:36.100 you know, behind the scenes, so I'm not really... 00:04:36.459 --> 00:04:38.259 I'm not really used to talking about myself, 00:04:38.439 --> 00:04:43.839 but I have a very fortunate and slightly unusual 00:04:43.839 --> 00:04:47.319 background in that I was born in the UK because 00:04:47.319 --> 00:04:50.139 my parents were here at the time. And I grew 00:04:50.139 --> 00:04:53.620 up in Queensland, Australia, and I feel very 00:04:53.620 --> 00:04:56.639 fortunate to have grown up there. And then I 00:04:56.639 --> 00:05:00.680 have been back in the UK for 25 years. So I've 00:05:00.680 --> 00:05:04.660 really had the benefit of experiencing both cultures. 00:05:06.229 --> 00:05:08.949 experiencing both lifestyles. And I have a family 00:05:08.949 --> 00:05:12.470 here now, and my husband is actually South African, 00:05:12.569 --> 00:05:16.470 so we're very much a Commonwealth family. Yes, 00:05:16.550 --> 00:05:20.410 absolutely. So great with all that experience 00:05:20.410 --> 00:05:22.389 you bring to the Commonwealth. And as you said, 00:05:22.470 --> 00:05:26.829 it's a real inflection point in terms of global 00:05:26.829 --> 00:05:30.589 trade. And we won't go back to the way it was, 00:05:30.689 --> 00:05:34.089 no matter what happens. Things are shaking up. 00:05:34.480 --> 00:05:37.459 And as you identified, there's really a renewed 00:05:37.459 --> 00:05:39.560 look at the Commonwealth and the opportunities 00:05:39.560 --> 00:05:43.319 it can bring. We are very fortunate to meet one 00:05:43.319 --> 00:05:46.540 of your colleagues prior to our most recent summit. 00:05:46.639 --> 00:05:51.620 Your team at CWIC invited a number of us to join 00:05:51.620 --> 00:05:55.379 the summit at your own summit at Manchin House 00:05:55.379 --> 00:05:58.379 a couple of days before. So we had Harold Calla, 00:05:58.420 --> 00:06:01.660 who's executive chair of the FNFB. We had Terry 00:06:01.660 --> 00:06:05.029 Paul, chief member to First Nation. Mark Pedlasli, 00:06:05.149 --> 00:06:07.569 CEO of the First Nations Major Project Coalition. 00:06:07.870 --> 00:06:12.350 Scott Munro, CEO of FNFMB. Ernie Daniels, President 00:06:12.350 --> 00:06:14.410 and CEO of First Nations Financial Authority. 00:06:14.730 --> 00:06:17.689 And Jody Aniston, Strategy and Partnership Advisor 00:06:17.689 --> 00:06:20.310 at First Nations Financial Authority, as well 00:06:20.310 --> 00:06:24.790 as myself and Rob joined as well. So we had a 00:06:24.790 --> 00:06:29.170 great turnout. And all of those Indigenous leaders 00:06:29.170 --> 00:06:32.370 from Canada who had the opportunity came to... 00:06:33.360 --> 00:06:36.680 to go to the summit thought wow that was great 00:06:36.680 --> 00:06:41.160 and so many of the other delegates i think were 00:06:41.160 --> 00:06:44.379 so pleased the feedback i had to talk and listen 00:06:44.379 --> 00:06:46.079 to the experience of the indigenous people of 00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:49.339 canada and subsequently we've heard from most 00:06:49.339 --> 00:06:51.160 of those individuals saying we've had so many 00:06:51.160 --> 00:06:53.740 conversations of people reaching out to us after 00:06:53.740 --> 00:06:57.339 trying to share and benefit from the learnings 00:06:57.339 --> 00:06:59.759 of the indigenous people of canada so i think 00:06:59.759 --> 00:07:02.509 that partly achieved what you try and do at those 00:07:02.509 --> 00:07:06.910 events. Yes, well, thank you, Mark and Rob. I 00:07:06.910 --> 00:07:09.329 mean, I'm very pleased to hear that. I think 00:07:09.329 --> 00:07:11.350 that event was just slightly before I started 00:07:11.350 --> 00:07:14.810 again, but I heard great reports, and I think 00:07:14.810 --> 00:07:17.149 it's something that we haven't done in the past, 00:07:17.250 --> 00:07:20.569 only because we haven't really had that connectivity. 00:07:21.110 --> 00:07:24.029 And we're really grateful to you for bringing 00:07:24.029 --> 00:07:26.389 us together and bringing the Indigenous leaders 00:07:26.389 --> 00:07:31.980 into that space, because I think... While the 00:07:31.980 --> 00:07:36.259 First Nations economic partnerships have been 00:07:36.259 --> 00:07:40.660 evolving and becoming much bigger and more inclusive 00:07:40.660 --> 00:07:45.680 and have moved into the mainstream, you know, 00:07:45.699 --> 00:07:48.759 we need to now make them front and centre. And 00:07:48.759 --> 00:07:50.839 I know that's been happening not just in Canada, 00:07:50.920 --> 00:07:55.259 but around in Australia we have, you know, many 00:07:55.259 --> 00:07:58.060 examples of economic partnership and economic, 00:07:58.300 --> 00:08:04.920 you know. cooperation with Indigenous people 00:08:04.920 --> 00:08:08.220 and some of the bigger institutions. That is 00:08:08.220 --> 00:08:11.519 much more widespread now than it was 20 years 00:08:11.519 --> 00:08:14.800 ago with corporates, with financial institutions. 00:08:15.480 --> 00:08:20.100 I think the work that you're doing really helps 00:08:20.100 --> 00:08:23.160 to elevate that and to bring it into the centre, 00:08:23.300 --> 00:08:26.959 as I said. Well, thank you for that feedback 00:08:26.959 --> 00:08:30.139 as well. Why don't you tell us a bit more about 00:08:30.139 --> 00:08:34.320 the Commonwealth as a whole and where the Commonwealth 00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:37.279 Enterprise and Investment Council sits within 00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:40.340 the broader organization? Because I think for 00:08:40.340 --> 00:08:44.039 a lot of our Canadian listeners, you know, Canada 00:08:44.039 --> 00:08:48.600 goes through periods where it's, you know, very 00:08:48.600 --> 00:08:51.299 involved and then goes quiet for a while and 00:08:51.299 --> 00:08:53.340 things change. But everybody is now looking at. 00:08:53.690 --> 00:08:55.690 What trade opportunities and Commonwealth is 00:08:55.690 --> 00:08:58.210 something, you know, we've been prior for a long 00:08:58.210 --> 00:09:00.769 time. Brian Mulroney, when he was our prime minister, 00:09:00.850 --> 00:09:04.129 was very active in the Commonwealth in terms 00:09:04.129 --> 00:09:06.570 of South Africa and apartheid and the change 00:09:06.570 --> 00:09:09.389 there. But most recently, we haven't been as 00:09:09.389 --> 00:09:11.950 involved or Canada hasn't been involved. So can 00:09:11.950 --> 00:09:15.169 you share some? Yes, I think that's absolutely 00:09:15.169 --> 00:09:17.830 right. And I'm glad you've said that, Mark, and 00:09:17.830 --> 00:09:19.970 not me, because it's something we've been conscious 00:09:19.970 --> 00:09:25.039 of for a while. So obviously. the sovereign is 00:09:25.039 --> 00:09:28.899 the head of the Commonwealth. In my previous 00:09:28.899 --> 00:09:34.500 life, it was a great joy that Canada was one 00:09:34.500 --> 00:09:38.740 of the more prominent Commonwealth nations. Her 00:09:38.740 --> 00:09:43.100 Majesty Queen Elizabeth II made many visits to 00:09:43.100 --> 00:09:45.879 Canada and there was an understanding that there 00:09:45.879 --> 00:09:49.139 was a great trust between Canada and other Commonwealth 00:09:49.139 --> 00:09:51.340 countries and that we were all friends and that 00:09:51.340 --> 00:09:53.799 there was a depth of trust and that we were all 00:09:53.799 --> 00:09:58.360 going to help each other to create opportunities 00:09:58.360 --> 00:10:01.500 and, you know, build better countries for ourselves 00:10:01.500 --> 00:10:04.620 and for each other. And I think it's true to 00:10:04.620 --> 00:10:07.759 say, yes, absolutely, under Prime Minister Brian 00:10:07.759 --> 00:10:11.659 Mulroney, who, you know, Her Majesty was very 00:10:11.659 --> 00:10:14.259 familiar with, and some of those tumultuous periods 00:10:14.259 --> 00:10:17.860 in the Commonwealth's history, countries have 00:10:17.860 --> 00:10:21.139 bonded together. But I think Canada has been... 00:10:21.399 --> 00:10:23.799 less active, shall I say, in the Commonwealth 00:10:23.799 --> 00:10:27.279 trade space actually is the only area I can speak 00:10:27.279 --> 00:10:31.860 on. And it's not to say that Canadian trade isn't 00:10:31.860 --> 00:10:35.360 active and... you know, as folks independently 00:10:35.360 --> 00:10:38.539 doing its own thing. But it's really just, it 00:10:38.539 --> 00:10:40.399 hasn't been as active within the Commonwealth 00:10:40.399 --> 00:10:44.080 family, as we call it. And we'd love to see Canada 00:10:44.080 --> 00:10:46.860 playing a bigger role because there's so much 00:10:46.860 --> 00:10:52.299 to offer. And I think we have in CWEIC, we have... 00:10:52.840 --> 00:10:56.240 one Canadian member, and that's the province 00:10:56.240 --> 00:10:59.759 of Alberta. And we'd like the, you know, more 00:10:59.759 --> 00:11:01.940 Canadian companies joining because I think there's 00:11:01.940 --> 00:11:06.120 huge demand for Canadian investment because Canadian 00:11:06.120 --> 00:11:10.100 companies are so well run there. And obviously, 00:11:10.240 --> 00:11:14.480 your new prime minister is very, you know, has 00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:17.080 great expertise in governance. They're so well 00:11:17.080 --> 00:11:22.220 run. They have a good reputation globally. very 00:11:22.220 --> 00:11:27.559 well -educated and talented executives. So I 00:11:27.559 --> 00:11:29.720 would suggest that there's huge opportunity, 00:11:30.019 --> 00:11:32.580 huge investment opportunity across the Commonwealth. 00:11:32.919 --> 00:11:35.759 There are now 56 countries in the Commonwealth. 00:11:35.960 --> 00:11:40.639 We've got Gabon and Togo, two new entrants. They 00:11:40.639 --> 00:11:44.039 joined last year. And, you know, there are some 00:11:44.039 --> 00:11:49.059 really exciting opportunities in Africa, in Asia. 00:11:50.039 --> 00:11:52.279 And, you know, we are, if you like, we're the 00:11:52.279 --> 00:11:55.779 official arm of the Commonwealth, CWIC, and we 00:11:55.779 --> 00:12:00.460 like to bring people together to facilitate these 00:12:00.460 --> 00:12:02.980 opportunities. And I think it would be beneficial 00:12:02.980 --> 00:12:05.460 to all if Canada played a more prominent role. 00:12:06.120 --> 00:12:08.220 Yes. And it's interesting, if we come back to 00:12:08.220 --> 00:12:12.059 that time with Prime Minister Mulroney, because 00:12:12.059 --> 00:12:15.299 he negotiated the free trade agreement with the 00:12:15.299 --> 00:12:19.960 US. Part of that was, yes, we can have a free 00:12:19.960 --> 00:12:21.779 trade agreement with the U .S., but we're going 00:12:21.779 --> 00:12:23.759 to be very active in the Commonwealth as well. 00:12:23.919 --> 00:12:26.340 So we're once again at an inflection point where 00:12:26.340 --> 00:12:30.639 Canada's relationship is changing with its southern 00:12:30.639 --> 00:12:34.379 neighbor, and the Commonwealth, as it is for 00:12:34.379 --> 00:12:38.200 many, it's always there, as is the sovereign. 00:12:39.340 --> 00:12:41.279 Yes, I think the thing about the Commonwealth, 00:12:41.460 --> 00:12:44.419 the... Additional advantage I would suggest is 00:12:44.419 --> 00:12:46.799 that 20 years ago, we didn't have the connectivity 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:51.159 we have today, or let's go further back. So if 00:12:51.159 --> 00:12:54.580 you wanted to do business in Togo, you had to 00:12:54.580 --> 00:12:58.399 get on a plane and travel a long distance. And, 00:12:58.480 --> 00:13:01.000 you know, that would have been challenging. I 00:13:01.000 --> 00:13:05.179 think we now have the most incredible connectivity, 00:13:05.340 --> 00:13:09.700 which helps the Commonwealth enormously. enables 00:13:09.700 --> 00:13:12.259 young people to be more active in the commonwealth 00:13:12.259 --> 00:13:14.659 it enables businesses to get things done very 00:13:14.659 --> 00:13:17.980 quickly so i think it's good to take advantage 00:13:17.980 --> 00:13:20.919 of that and i don't think that anything beats 00:13:20.919 --> 00:13:24.320 face -to -face meetings and building strong relationships 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:28.220 um over the long term but i do think that that 00:13:28.220 --> 00:13:30.919 connectivity has helped the commonwealth realize 00:13:30.919 --> 00:13:35.440 its potential and its power and i keep saying 00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:38.669 you know there were some years when people would 00:13:38.669 --> 00:13:40.269 say, well, what's the point of the Commonwealth? 00:13:40.649 --> 00:13:43.289 You know, it's moribund. Why do you bother? What 00:13:43.289 --> 00:13:46.169 are we doing here? And I would say, well, that's 00:13:46.169 --> 00:13:49.789 a really interesting point because it seems to 00:13:49.789 --> 00:13:53.149 be one of the only clubs in town that has increasing 00:13:53.149 --> 00:13:58.879 membership over a 70 -year period. And there 00:13:58.879 --> 00:14:01.740 is a waiting list. So I think the proof is in 00:14:01.740 --> 00:14:04.980 the pudding. I mean, people, countries are lining 00:14:04.980 --> 00:14:08.200 up to join. You know, we now have the Middle 00:14:08.200 --> 00:14:13.179 East is very interested in the Commonwealth as 00:14:13.179 --> 00:14:17.919 a network. And that's quite new. But obviously, 00:14:18.039 --> 00:14:21.940 the Middle East is now a hub for global business. 00:14:22.279 --> 00:14:26.480 And so, you know, we are very involved there. 00:14:26.559 --> 00:14:29.590 We've got a new... chair of our Middle Eastern 00:14:29.590 --> 00:14:34.450 operation, Simon Penny, who was a former British 00:14:34.450 --> 00:14:37.529 diplomat and trade commissioner. So, you know, 00:14:37.549 --> 00:14:40.490 there are multiple changes happening, which I 00:14:40.490 --> 00:14:42.929 think keeps it interesting and keeps refreshing 00:14:42.929 --> 00:14:46.129 the opportunities. Yes, and can you speak a little 00:14:46.129 --> 00:14:48.970 bit about the criteria for joining the Commonwealth 00:14:48.970 --> 00:14:53.509 now? Because I think it's changed slightly. It 00:14:53.509 --> 00:14:57.649 hasn't changed. I suppose it's adapted. I think, 00:14:57.649 --> 00:15:01.129 you know, it used to be that English had to be 00:15:01.129 --> 00:15:03.870 the dominant language, but we now have entrants 00:15:03.870 --> 00:15:07.070 from countries that are French speaking. English 00:15:07.070 --> 00:15:08.950 is the language of the Commonwealth, so you have 00:15:08.950 --> 00:15:14.330 to have a strong English capability. I think 00:15:14.330 --> 00:15:19.789 you have to comply with the human rights guidelines. 00:15:21.370 --> 00:15:25.500 You have to have a democratic society. You have 00:15:25.500 --> 00:15:28.639 to sign up to the principles of the rule of law. 00:15:28.899 --> 00:15:33.080 And there are a list of criteria along those 00:15:33.080 --> 00:15:37.899 lines. And it's quite a stringent process that 00:15:37.899 --> 00:15:40.240 countries are asked to go through. And some countries 00:15:40.240 --> 00:15:42.179 are rejected and some countries are asked to 00:15:42.179 --> 00:15:46.480 wait until their circumstances have improved. 00:15:47.179 --> 00:15:51.059 As we know, countries are expelled from the Commonwealth 00:15:51.059 --> 00:15:54.000 if they don't comply. Countries are suspended. 00:15:54.830 --> 00:15:58.269 I won't name names, but I mean, it happens regularly. 00:15:58.450 --> 00:16:01.850 And I think that's a good thing because we are 00:16:01.850 --> 00:16:04.909 constantly monitoring these values because the 00:16:04.909 --> 00:16:07.629 Commonwealth prides itself on being bound by 00:16:07.629 --> 00:16:11.090 really important values and democracy, rule of 00:16:11.090 --> 00:16:15.570 law, trust, human rights are some of those really 00:16:15.570 --> 00:16:20.250 important values. Yes, and that is a gift that 00:16:20.250 --> 00:16:23.529 we've all received by being part of the Commonwealth. 00:16:24.589 --> 00:16:28.230 And, you know, is something so relevant today 00:16:28.230 --> 00:16:32.269 for everyone because everybody's saying, you 00:16:32.269 --> 00:16:34.730 know, the world has changed, but those values 00:16:34.730 --> 00:16:39.389 are enduring. They don't change. So that is truly 00:16:39.389 --> 00:16:45.669 positive. Can you share some examples where CWIC 00:16:45.669 --> 00:16:48.190 has successfully catalyzed ethical and sustainable 00:16:48.190 --> 00:16:51.419 investment? Because that comes to the heart of 00:16:51.419 --> 00:16:53.759 the Indigenous peoples and seven generation thinking 00:16:53.759 --> 00:16:56.080 and how they approach that and some of the key 00:16:56.080 --> 00:16:59.440 factors behind those successes. We don't point 00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:02.779 to particular deals because we work across so 00:17:02.779 --> 00:17:07.480 many countries and so many sectors. We run every 00:17:07.480 --> 00:17:09.819 two years, we run a big Commonwealth business 00:17:09.819 --> 00:17:14.180 forum, which... is held in different jurisdictions 00:17:14.180 --> 00:17:17.059 around the world. Last year it was in Samoa, 00:17:17.119 --> 00:17:20.140 and next year it will be in Antigua, which are 00:17:20.140 --> 00:17:22.799 obviously small island states who are suffering 00:17:22.799 --> 00:17:26.420 from climate change. So when we hold Commonwealth 00:17:26.420 --> 00:17:29.539 Business Forums in those countries, there is 00:17:29.539 --> 00:17:33.299 a significant focus on sustainable investing 00:17:33.299 --> 00:17:36.839 and climate change mitigation, and that will 00:17:36.839 --> 00:17:39.599 certainly be the case when we go to Antigua. 00:17:40.109 --> 00:17:45.029 So we are more a facilitating platform rather 00:17:45.029 --> 00:17:48.470 than, you know, creating specific deals. Yes. 00:17:48.549 --> 00:17:52.410 And with Antigua, the upcoming, when exactly 00:17:52.410 --> 00:17:55.569 is that? That's going to be the first week of 00:17:55.569 --> 00:18:00.049 November in 2026. And I think Antigua and Barbuda 00:18:00.049 --> 00:18:05.329 is a British realm, which means it has the British 00:18:05.329 --> 00:18:08.549 sovereign as the head of state represented by 00:18:08.549 --> 00:18:11.809 the governor general. Sir Rodney Williams, who 00:18:11.809 --> 00:18:16.250 is in country. And I think it's, you know, Antigua 00:18:16.250 --> 00:18:21.049 is a fantastic country. It's, I think probably 00:18:21.049 --> 00:18:23.289 three years ago now, it set up something called 00:18:23.289 --> 00:18:26.369 the Centre of Blue Economy, COBE, as they call 00:18:26.369 --> 00:18:31.250 it. And they're really looking at ocean solutions 00:18:31.250 --> 00:18:35.650 and new marine industry because their dominant 00:18:35.650 --> 00:18:39.220 industry obviously is tourism. And tourism is 00:18:39.220 --> 00:18:41.019 affected by climate change, and this applies 00:18:41.019 --> 00:18:44.539 to small island states all over the world. They're 00:18:44.539 --> 00:18:48.460 affected by cyclones, by phenomena such as sargassum 00:18:48.460 --> 00:18:50.740 seaweed, which washes up on their beaches now, 00:18:50.859 --> 00:18:53.480 which they didn't used to have before there were 00:18:53.480 --> 00:18:56.480 rising sea temperatures. So I think, you know, 00:18:56.480 --> 00:18:59.519 the focus when we do hold Commonwealth business 00:18:59.519 --> 00:19:02.500 forums in these areas is definitely sustainability 00:19:02.500 --> 00:19:05.859 and how we can... how we can do business, we 00:19:05.859 --> 00:19:10.940 can make money and create jobs through new environmental 00:19:10.940 --> 00:19:13.460 and sustainable initiatives. And I think that's 00:19:13.460 --> 00:19:18.140 a fantastic challenge. Yes. And what about in 00:19:18.140 --> 00:19:22.039 terms of, of course, you can't talk specifics, 00:19:22.099 --> 00:19:27.640 but how does CWEC or the Commonwealth as a whole 00:19:27.640 --> 00:19:29.880 navigate some of these regulatory and policy 00:19:29.880 --> 00:19:34.190 challenges and how does it contribute? Yes. I 00:19:34.190 --> 00:19:37.670 mean, we work very closely with the policy headquarters 00:19:37.670 --> 00:19:39.589 of the Commonwealth, which is the Commonwealth 00:19:39.589 --> 00:19:43.269 Secretariat. And that's located on Pall Mall, 00:19:43.490 --> 00:19:46.329 very close to Buckingham Palace, where the Sovereign 00:19:46.329 --> 00:19:48.890 is. And that's where all the... I think that's 00:19:48.890 --> 00:19:52.569 beside, actually, Quebec House, if I remember 00:19:52.569 --> 00:19:55.529 correctly. It was opposite. Opposite. Okay. Sorry. 00:19:55.650 --> 00:20:00.730 Opposite. Yes. And that's where the policy teams 00:20:00.730 --> 00:20:06.920 are. And CWIC is the active business arm, if 00:20:06.920 --> 00:20:09.339 you like. So we feed back into the policy team. 00:20:09.460 --> 00:20:13.440 We work collaboratively together. It is difficult. 00:20:13.660 --> 00:20:16.180 I mean, I don't think there's probably many business 00:20:16.180 --> 00:20:19.440 organisations that have to navigate across 56 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:23.680 jurisdictions. I mean, obviously, some countries 00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:27.220 don't need the Commonwealth Network as much as 00:20:27.220 --> 00:20:31.000 others do. So, you know, there's sort of a variance 00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:33.680 on how much people rely on the Commonwealth Network. 00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:36.640 But I think most countries are engaged at some 00:20:36.640 --> 00:20:40.380 level. And that's, you know, from Samoa and to 00:20:40.380 --> 00:20:43.059 Valu, which is the smallest country in the Commonwealth, 00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:47.319 to India, which obviously is the economic engine 00:20:47.319 --> 00:20:50.440 room of the Commonwealth. And, you know, we are 00:20:50.440 --> 00:20:54.740 taking a delegation to the Africa -India Conclave 00:20:54.740 --> 00:21:00.640 in India. in about a week's time. So it is difficult 00:21:00.640 --> 00:21:04.900 to navigate all of the different trade challenges, 00:21:05.220 --> 00:21:09.380 policies, variations, shall we say, but really 00:21:09.380 --> 00:21:13.220 that's not our job. I think the governments of 00:21:13.220 --> 00:21:17.220 those countries need to negotiate their own requirements. 00:21:17.940 --> 00:21:23.720 Our job is to really have a helicopter view of 00:21:23.720 --> 00:21:26.539 what's going on in the Commonwealth because Most 00:21:26.539 --> 00:21:31.119 governments are focused inwardly and they're 00:21:31.119 --> 00:21:33.859 looking for opportunities, but there's quite 00:21:33.859 --> 00:21:36.700 a lag time because government is actually agile. 00:21:37.000 --> 00:21:39.259 We have the advantage of having a Commonwealth 00:21:39.259 --> 00:21:42.819 view so that we can perhaps see opportunities 00:21:42.819 --> 00:21:46.299 they can't see or they didn't know existed or 00:21:46.299 --> 00:21:53.039 unusual combinations of investors or countries 00:21:53.039 --> 00:21:57.089 that may have similar needs. realized had similar 00:21:57.089 --> 00:22:00.369 needs i mean i uh i'll give you an example with 00:22:00.369 --> 00:22:03.549 uh we did help with the development of the um 00:22:03.549 --> 00:22:09.509 the center for blue economy in antigua and they 00:22:09.509 --> 00:22:12.009 had this problem with sargas and seaweed washing 00:22:12.009 --> 00:22:14.390 up on the shores and they didn't know what to 00:22:14.390 --> 00:22:16.390 do about it I think people still don't know what 00:22:16.390 --> 00:22:19.769 to do about it. But we created a collaboration 00:22:19.769 --> 00:22:22.910 with another university in Queensland, Australia, 00:22:23.130 --> 00:22:26.109 James Cook University, which is on the Great 00:22:26.109 --> 00:22:29.910 Barrier Reef. And they're experiencing some similar 00:22:29.910 --> 00:22:33.289 issues around rising sea temperatures and the 00:22:33.289 --> 00:22:36.230 impact it's having on coral reefs and fish stocks 00:22:36.230 --> 00:22:39.190 and all sorts of things. So there's a great sense 00:22:39.190 --> 00:22:41.509 somewhere in the world, somewhere in the Commonwealth. 00:22:42.240 --> 00:22:44.839 a country will be experiencing the same challenges. 00:22:44.880 --> 00:22:48.559 Obviously, within Africa, it's easier to share 00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:51.779 those challenges and opportunities. But, you 00:22:51.779 --> 00:22:54.759 know, you find companies in... So Sri Lanka, 00:22:54.920 --> 00:22:58.339 for example, is having a resurgence in tourism 00:22:58.339 --> 00:23:01.240 after they've had, you know, a difficult few 00:23:01.240 --> 00:23:04.180 years with the economy and before that the tsunami. 00:23:04.279 --> 00:23:07.380 And now there's, you know, the tourism industry 00:23:07.380 --> 00:23:10.680 is booming. So they're having to ask for advice 00:23:10.680 --> 00:23:13.609 from... um other countries that have had a more 00:23:13.609 --> 00:23:16.509 stable tourism journey you know what do we do 00:23:16.509 --> 00:23:19.730 how do we now invest in very high level tourism 00:23:19.730 --> 00:23:22.589 which is you know coming back to to that area 00:23:22.589 --> 00:23:25.890 so you know there's huge knowledge exchange as 00:23:25.890 --> 00:23:27.789 well and i think you know that's where we'd love 00:23:27.789 --> 00:23:31.349 uh canada to to be more active and i also think 00:23:31.349 --> 00:23:35.160 with indigenous communities they are In terms 00:23:35.160 --> 00:23:38.700 of tourism, I think Indigenous communities are 00:23:38.700 --> 00:23:41.579 brilliant at tourism, and I think that's just 00:23:41.579 --> 00:23:43.799 one sector that they've excelled in. I know in 00:23:43.799 --> 00:23:47.539 Australia there are some fantastic Indigenous 00:23:47.539 --> 00:23:50.740 tour operators. So I think it's the knowledge 00:23:50.740 --> 00:23:54.220 exchange, and I think First Nation and Indigenous 00:23:54.220 --> 00:23:56.660 communities bring a completely fresh approach 00:23:56.660 --> 00:24:00.009 to many of the sectors. Others have been operating 00:24:00.009 --> 00:24:02.289 in for a long time. They're great problem solvers, 00:24:02.390 --> 00:24:05.190 you know, and I think with a deep, deep connection 00:24:05.190 --> 00:24:08.230 to nature and community. And I think that's something 00:24:08.230 --> 00:24:12.829 that we miss sometimes. Yes, clearly. We're in 00:24:12.829 --> 00:24:16.829 this period of climate change because we have 00:24:16.829 --> 00:24:20.369 missed it. Because when you come in, as we discussed 00:24:20.369 --> 00:24:23.269 earlier and in other conversations about the 00:24:23.269 --> 00:24:25.619 seven generation thinking. of the Indigenous 00:24:25.619 --> 00:24:27.700 peoples in Canada and similar across the world 00:24:27.700 --> 00:24:30.740 are two -eyed thinking is if we had been thinking 00:24:30.740 --> 00:24:32.680 of seven generations, we wouldn't be in the mess 00:24:32.680 --> 00:24:35.279 that we are in today. And we are in a mess, right? 00:24:35.559 --> 00:24:38.660 It's just not correct. We're melting in London. 00:24:39.720 --> 00:24:44.039 We are in a mess and place that, you know, Scandinavia 00:24:44.039 --> 00:24:46.839 will soon become the top holiday destination. 00:24:47.759 --> 00:24:52.930 Yes, exactly. Yes, exactly. And what about, so 00:24:52.930 --> 00:24:54.750 we've talked a bit about the Indigenous peoples 00:24:54.750 --> 00:24:58.250 in Canada. What would you say, as you said, Canada's 00:24:58.250 --> 00:25:00.150 taking a fresh look at trade opportunities around 00:25:00.150 --> 00:25:03.869 the world. What's the pitch to Canadian firms, 00:25:04.089 --> 00:25:07.549 Canadian SMEs, Indigenous, non -Indigenous, about 00:25:07.549 --> 00:25:11.170 the Commonwealth and Enterprise Investment Council? 00:25:11.750 --> 00:25:14.809 Why should they get on board now? Well, I would 00:25:14.809 --> 00:25:17.410 say, first of all, because I think most businesses 00:25:17.410 --> 00:25:22.690 are focused on outcomes. We say there is a 21 00:25:22.690 --> 00:25:26.109 % business advantage, direct business advantage 00:25:26.109 --> 00:25:29.829 to doing trade with other Commonwealth countries. 00:25:30.109 --> 00:25:33.190 And I think Canada would specifically benefit 00:25:33.190 --> 00:25:36.950 from that because there is so much. shared history 00:25:36.950 --> 00:25:40.430 with other Commonwealth countries. And there's 00:25:40.430 --> 00:25:43.230 the legal structure, which Canada shares with 00:25:43.230 --> 00:25:45.950 many countries in the Commonwealth, which makes 00:25:45.950 --> 00:25:51.829 doing business much easier. Language and both 00:25:51.829 --> 00:25:56.210 languages of Canada are very handy in many Commonwealth 00:25:56.210 --> 00:25:59.970 jurisdictions. And I think that Canada is a flagship 00:25:59.970 --> 00:26:02.940 country in the Commonwealth. You know, Canada 00:26:02.940 --> 00:26:06.779 is a great country and you've produced, you know, 00:26:06.799 --> 00:26:10.119 incredible leaders over your history. You have 00:26:10.119 --> 00:26:13.160 great companies. You have progressive industry. 00:26:13.559 --> 00:26:16.299 You have, you know, a lot of green industry. 00:26:16.539 --> 00:26:20.359 And I think it's a shame that Canada, it would 00:26:20.359 --> 00:26:22.900 be a shame if Canada wasn't more active because 00:26:22.900 --> 00:26:27.529 I think. Countries that are particularly emerging 00:26:27.529 --> 00:26:29.829 economies and developing countries are looking 00:26:29.829 --> 00:26:33.109 for trustworthy partners, particularly for things 00:26:33.109 --> 00:26:35.890 like big infrastructure projects, renewable energy 00:26:35.890 --> 00:26:40.250 projects. They want partners who are going to 00:26:40.250 --> 00:26:42.589 respect the local community, put something back 00:26:42.589 --> 00:26:45.509 into the local community, hire local people, 00:26:45.809 --> 00:26:50.529 have good governance. make a contribution to 00:26:50.529 --> 00:26:52.069 the country in which they're doing business. 00:26:52.369 --> 00:26:54.710 And I think it's fair to say that Canadian companies 00:26:54.710 --> 00:26:57.470 have a great reputation for that and for leadership. 00:26:58.869 --> 00:27:01.869 You know, your Prime Minister, we got to know 00:27:01.869 --> 00:27:04.789 very well when he was here running the Bank of 00:27:04.789 --> 00:27:08.349 England. And, you know, I think Canada has a 00:27:08.349 --> 00:27:11.410 fantastic reputation in the business world and 00:27:11.410 --> 00:27:16.319 it can show more leadership, I would say. we 00:27:16.319 --> 00:27:19.420 are a very good way of bringing Canadian companies 00:27:19.420 --> 00:27:24.000 into the wider Commonwealth quite quickly. I'm 00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:26.980 sure you'll have a lot of requests and inquiries 00:27:26.980 --> 00:27:30.660 about how we can make that happen and how Canadian 00:27:30.660 --> 00:27:32.980 firms, Indigenous and non -Indigenous, can take 00:27:32.980 --> 00:27:35.099 advantage of that. And I think just to come back 00:27:35.099 --> 00:27:39.680 for that Commonwealth network, because we mentioned 00:27:39.680 --> 00:27:41.819 about Prime Minister of Canada's involvement 00:27:41.819 --> 00:27:45.160 with the... apartheid in South Africa. And South 00:27:45.160 --> 00:27:48.539 Africa then had their truth and reconciliation, 00:27:49.059 --> 00:27:55.680 which then Canada copied the essence of that 00:27:55.680 --> 00:28:00.900 to deal with the injustices done to the Indigenous 00:28:00.900 --> 00:28:04.380 people of Canada. So economic and social reconciliation, 00:28:04.440 --> 00:28:07.180 which actually originated from South Africa in 00:28:07.180 --> 00:28:11.359 the transition, Canada then looked inward and... 00:28:12.190 --> 00:28:15.089 said we need to do the same and that has led 00:28:15.089 --> 00:28:17.950 to you know the when the constitution coming 00:28:17.950 --> 00:28:20.109 back the rights the indigenous people being included 00:28:20.109 --> 00:28:22.750 in the constitution the recognition of treaty 00:28:22.750 --> 00:28:26.049 rights as as well as subsequently with that in 00:28:26.049 --> 00:28:29.109 terms of supreme court cases and sign up to under 00:28:29.109 --> 00:28:30.930 the united nations declaration of the rights 00:28:30.930 --> 00:28:34.990 of indigenous people so you can see that influence 00:28:34.990 --> 00:28:38.109 that's completely right mark and i think one 00:28:38.109 --> 00:28:40.450 of the things that people don't know is you know 00:28:40.450 --> 00:28:44.440 the um the reader crossed two with native title 00:28:44.440 --> 00:28:48.299 in Canada and Australia. So I think the Australian 00:28:48.299 --> 00:28:53.720 model was developed after the Canadian model 00:28:53.720 --> 00:28:56.099 of native title for Indigenous communities. And 00:28:56.099 --> 00:28:59.599 that was a very important contribution to Australia. 00:28:59.880 --> 00:29:03.680 And I also think it's important to realise that 00:29:03.680 --> 00:29:07.720 a lot of companies now are not a global as we 00:29:07.720 --> 00:29:10.920 know but they're doing business so it's it's 00:29:10.920 --> 00:29:13.619 it's probably becoming more unusual to just do 00:29:13.619 --> 00:29:16.880 business within your own jurisdiction so um you 00:29:16.880 --> 00:29:19.339 know i spent some time at rio tinto which is 00:29:19.339 --> 00:29:24.299 a dual listed uh british australian company which 00:29:24.299 --> 00:29:27.859 has many businesses in canada i mean it has um 00:29:27.859 --> 00:29:30.519 you know green aluminium it creates green aluminium 00:29:30.519 --> 00:29:33.240 in canada That's a truly Commonwealth country, 00:29:33.319 --> 00:29:36.220 and it operates in South Africa and all over 00:29:36.220 --> 00:29:39.619 Africa. So I think there are many, many countries 00:29:39.619 --> 00:29:44.460 that would welcome Canadian companies who are 00:29:44.460 --> 00:29:46.819 global, who are already operating across the 00:29:46.819 --> 00:29:49.400 Commonwealth, to just sort of hold their hands 00:29:49.400 --> 00:29:53.210 up. and say, look, we're here and we care and 00:29:53.210 --> 00:29:55.269 we are an active member of the Commonwealth. 00:29:56.009 --> 00:29:59.910 Yes. I think it's important because I think the 00:29:59.910 --> 00:30:02.150 world is an uncertain place at the moment. There 00:30:02.150 --> 00:30:06.789 are scenarios that we haven't experienced before. 00:30:07.470 --> 00:30:10.730 There are variables that have changed quite dramatically 00:30:10.730 --> 00:30:14.609 that we haven't seen for decades. So I think 00:30:14.609 --> 00:30:18.009 that really we all need to be operating, we need 00:30:18.009 --> 00:30:22.119 to be finding. safe spaces and networks where 00:30:22.119 --> 00:30:27.660 trust is valued and good practice is valued and 00:30:27.660 --> 00:30:29.900 leadership. And I think the Commonwealth is that 00:30:29.900 --> 00:30:34.119 place. Yes, and it has proven to be and will 00:30:34.119 --> 00:30:37.440 continue to do so, I have no doubt. Can you explain 00:30:37.440 --> 00:30:40.900 or reinforce where the Council sits within the 00:30:40.900 --> 00:30:44.220 Commonwealth structure and how the Council is 00:30:44.220 --> 00:30:49.220 structured itself? For a lot of people. You know, 00:30:49.220 --> 00:30:52.480 the Commonwealth is a huge organization, as you 00:30:52.480 --> 00:30:54.660 know. Yes. And it'd be great to have a little 00:30:54.660 --> 00:30:58.759 explainer. Yes, exactly. Well, I mean, the Commonwealth, 00:30:58.880 --> 00:31:02.819 it is quite nebulous in that, you know, it's 00:31:02.819 --> 00:31:05.960 quite hard to tie 56 countries together. But 00:31:05.960 --> 00:31:10.339 the headquarters of the Commonwealth is based 00:31:10.339 --> 00:31:15.460 in central London. operate a number of arms, 00:31:15.579 --> 00:31:18.619 if you like. They have a Commonwealth Foundation, 00:31:18.940 --> 00:31:23.519 which makes contributions to a whole range of 00:31:23.519 --> 00:31:26.220 charitable interests. It supports youth development 00:31:26.220 --> 00:31:31.140 and charitable causes and interests across the 00:31:31.140 --> 00:31:34.400 Commonwealth. Within that Commonwealth Secretariat, 00:31:34.440 --> 00:31:37.519 there's a trade policy team, there's a women's 00:31:37.519 --> 00:31:41.339 policy team, there's various policy teams across 00:31:42.890 --> 00:31:46.970 a different range of subjects, and they are funded 00:31:46.970 --> 00:31:51.230 by the member nations. So not all the member 00:31:51.230 --> 00:31:54.250 nations because some of them are not financially 00:31:54.250 --> 00:31:57.569 able to afford that, but the bigger Commonwealth 00:31:57.569 --> 00:31:59.950 countries make a contribution to managing that. 00:32:00.730 --> 00:32:04.309 When every two years there is this Commonwealth 00:32:04.309 --> 00:32:07.049 Heads of Government Forum, all the heads of government 00:32:07.049 --> 00:32:10.589 of the Commonwealth gather to agree on what they 00:32:10.589 --> 00:32:14.130 call a communique. And that's sort of a statement 00:32:14.130 --> 00:32:17.410 of intent for the next two years where they set 00:32:17.410 --> 00:32:21.369 out what they want to achieve, areas of collaboration, 00:32:21.829 --> 00:32:26.230 areas of focus, and that's agreed upon. And then 00:32:26.230 --> 00:32:29.230 the Commonwealth Secretariat implements those 00:32:29.230 --> 00:32:33.750 in agreement with the board, the member nations 00:32:33.750 --> 00:32:37.450 who are contributing financially. And then, you 00:32:37.450 --> 00:32:40.210 know, all member nations have had an opportunity 00:32:40.210 --> 00:32:44.859 to contribute to that. CWIC is the business arm. 00:32:45.039 --> 00:32:48.799 It's independent of that because we're not policy. 00:32:48.880 --> 00:32:52.299 We're more the practical arm, I suppose. And 00:32:52.299 --> 00:32:57.539 we feed into the policy arm. We flag trade challenges 00:32:57.539 --> 00:33:03.480 where we can improve processes. And we are self 00:33:03.480 --> 00:33:07.240 -funded. So we're not funded by the member nations. 00:33:07.279 --> 00:33:09.680 We raise our own money within the business community 00:33:09.680 --> 00:33:15.579 too. the service so okay very very helpful for 00:33:15.579 --> 00:33:17.759 everyone to understand that because this is the 00:33:17.759 --> 00:33:20.700 practical arm and this is where businesses should 00:33:20.700 --> 00:33:24.640 be connecting so very important that you highlighted 00:33:24.640 --> 00:33:26.700 that because a lot of people would think oh the 00:33:26.700 --> 00:33:29.140 member nations are funding it so some of these 00:33:29.140 --> 00:33:32.819 leading organizations that cross national boundaries 00:33:32.819 --> 00:33:36.319 you know It's important for them to be listening 00:33:36.319 --> 00:33:39.619 to this conversation and contributing to an organization 00:33:39.619 --> 00:33:42.900 that makes a positive difference across so many 00:33:42.900 --> 00:33:47.279 different countries across the whole globe, north, 00:33:47.420 --> 00:33:51.720 south, east, west. Yeah, I mean, it's a great 00:33:51.720 --> 00:33:57.279 model because we have quite a small team in London, 00:33:57.339 --> 00:34:02.079 and then we have a number of teams. We have 13 00:34:02.079 --> 00:34:04.779 hubs in other Commonwealth countries. So we have 00:34:04.779 --> 00:34:09.760 one in Ghana, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Gibraltar, 00:34:09.980 --> 00:34:17.739 Australia, Cayman Islands, Maldives, Dubai. So 00:34:17.739 --> 00:34:21.579 those hubs, a lot of them are self -funded. Sometimes 00:34:21.579 --> 00:34:24.239 we have voluntary businessmen who operate a hub 00:34:24.239 --> 00:34:26.980 for us because they want to represent the Commonwealth. 00:34:27.139 --> 00:34:32.260 It's a passion. They almost volunteer their time. 00:34:32.420 --> 00:34:36.380 And that's wonderful for us. So there is a huge 00:34:36.380 --> 00:34:40.619 amount of goodwill in this network. We all want 00:34:40.619 --> 00:34:44.980 to improve the lives of our communities and those 00:34:44.980 --> 00:34:47.619 around us and to create more opportunities for 00:34:47.619 --> 00:34:53.559 future generations. And I think it's quite heavy 00:34:53.559 --> 00:34:58.059 lifting sometimes, but I think the outcomes are 00:34:58.059 --> 00:35:01.909 worth it. um working towards and you know that's 00:35:01.909 --> 00:35:05.250 our that's our passion and our remit so uh we 00:35:05.250 --> 00:35:09.269 always welcome fellow converts who who are on 00:35:09.269 --> 00:35:12.190 this journey with us great well hopefully one 00:35:12.190 --> 00:35:15.389 day we can get a hub set up in canada maybe it's 00:35:15.389 --> 00:35:17.570 in one of the indigenous nations maybe it's in 00:35:17.570 --> 00:35:20.110 the arctic so we can have your have you instead 00:35:20.110 --> 00:35:24.329 of residing in malta today you can be uh somewhere 00:35:25.599 --> 00:35:28.500 It's so dynamic. It's the most dynamic network. 00:35:28.760 --> 00:35:32.099 I find that's what's so exciting about it because, 00:35:32.159 --> 00:35:37.239 I mean, every day there are examples of innovation 00:35:37.239 --> 00:35:42.940 and opportunity. So just last week I had a company 00:35:42.940 --> 00:35:48.039 in Australia, that very small company, an SME, 00:35:48.039 --> 00:35:50.880 that wants to scale up. And it's this incredible 00:35:50.880 --> 00:35:56.119 innovation that sterilises. spaces, hospitals, 00:35:56.800 --> 00:36:00.960 aircraft, hotels through ultraviolet light. And 00:36:00.960 --> 00:36:09.739 it's a very agile technology. And they didn't 00:36:09.739 --> 00:36:12.460 know how to bring this to market, this product. 00:36:13.019 --> 00:36:16.719 And we've had a couple of conversations and we 00:36:16.719 --> 00:36:19.280 found this incredible opportunity for them with 00:36:19.280 --> 00:36:24.730 a very large tourism operator in Asia. And they, 00:36:24.849 --> 00:36:27.949 yeah, it's just a couple of phone calls and this 00:36:27.949 --> 00:36:31.289 relationship has sprung up and it's going to 00:36:31.289 --> 00:36:35.030 be, you know, a wonderful pairing. So, you know, 00:36:35.030 --> 00:36:37.309 I think every day is full of those sorts of opportunities 00:36:37.309 --> 00:36:40.190 that just require the right people connecting 00:36:40.190 --> 00:36:43.789 with each other. Tell us what it was like to 00:36:43.789 --> 00:36:47.650 work in the Royal Household. It was a huge honour 00:36:47.650 --> 00:36:51.150 and a remarkable experience. It was really a 00:36:51.150 --> 00:36:55.920 great privilege. And I was very fortunate and 00:36:55.920 --> 00:36:59.699 I learned a great deal. Yes, I'm sure it was 00:36:59.699 --> 00:37:02.980 a great honor. And I'm sure the Sovereign is 00:37:02.980 --> 00:37:05.719 also very comfortable with you rejoining the 00:37:05.719 --> 00:37:08.280 organization because these are the organizations 00:37:08.280 --> 00:37:11.039 that keep those ties that bind us all together. 00:37:11.420 --> 00:37:16.400 And having that perspective of working closely 00:37:16.400 --> 00:37:19.599 with the Royal Household, as well as with all 00:37:19.599 --> 00:37:23.670 the member countries. that's the glue that binds 00:37:23.670 --> 00:37:27.289 us all together, or a lot of us, without a doubt. 00:37:27.989 --> 00:37:33.269 Yes, and I was very fortunate to attend a number 00:37:33.269 --> 00:37:35.170 of Commonwealth heads of government meetings 00:37:35.170 --> 00:37:41.670 with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We visited 00:37:41.670 --> 00:37:46.110 Chogham in Australia, in Perth, in Trinidad and 00:37:46.110 --> 00:37:52.159 Tobago, in fact, in Australia twice. I think 00:37:52.159 --> 00:37:57.800 there was another one in India. So I have had 00:37:57.800 --> 00:38:01.719 that direct experience of the way the Commonwealth 00:38:01.719 --> 00:38:05.500 works because I have worked alongside Her Late 00:38:05.500 --> 00:38:08.820 Majesty, and I think that's been a very valuable 00:38:08.820 --> 00:38:12.300 experience. And Queen Elizabeth II was passionate 00:38:12.300 --> 00:38:15.599 about the Commonwealth, and she saw it grow from 00:38:15.599 --> 00:38:18.239 nine countries at the beginning of her reign 00:38:18.239 --> 00:38:22.940 to 56. I think that's one of her great legacies. 00:38:23.099 --> 00:38:26.360 And I think His Majesty the King is carrying 00:38:26.360 --> 00:38:29.300 on that legacy in the most remarkable way and 00:38:29.300 --> 00:38:32.559 is so involved. He traveled to Samoa, even though 00:38:32.559 --> 00:38:37.119 he wasn't well. Unbelievable. His commitment 00:38:37.119 --> 00:38:41.000 is extraordinary. And I think we're very lucky 00:38:41.000 --> 00:38:45.340 because having an apolitical head of the Commonwealth 00:38:45.340 --> 00:38:50.980 means that the agenda is neutral. The sovereign 00:38:50.980 --> 00:38:55.440 is there because there's a care and a compassion 00:38:55.440 --> 00:38:58.639 and a desire to see these countries thrive and 00:38:58.639 --> 00:39:04.039 prosper. And that's incredibly valuable. Yes, 00:39:04.039 --> 00:39:05.880 and we've certainly seen that during the early 00:39:05.880 --> 00:39:11.679 part of his reign. A man for his time, because 00:39:11.679 --> 00:39:16.739 he's intervened at very critical moments to nudge 00:39:16.739 --> 00:39:20.000 things in the right direction. or just to give 00:39:20.000 --> 00:39:26.440 that non -political support or nudge. Yes. The 00:39:26.440 --> 00:39:29.980 King has, as you know, he's been very involved 00:39:29.980 --> 00:39:33.440 in the sustainability agenda for many years before 00:39:33.440 --> 00:39:36.739 he became sovereign. He started an initiative 00:39:36.739 --> 00:39:40.139 called the Sustainable Markets Initiative, SMI. 00:39:40.139 --> 00:39:42.159 You may be familiar with it or some of your listeners 00:39:42.159 --> 00:39:46.159 may have heard of it. And this is a really fantastic 00:39:46.159 --> 00:39:50.440 platform as well, which is bringing finance and 00:39:50.440 --> 00:39:54.769 opportunity to... um sustainable business initiatives 00:39:54.769 --> 00:39:58.469 and renewable energy projects and um around the 00:39:58.469 --> 00:40:01.289 world uh even beyond the commonwealth uh they're 00:40:01.289 --> 00:40:04.070 truly global and and we work closely with smi 00:40:04.070 --> 00:40:07.570 as well so i mean the king has had a huge um 00:40:07.570 --> 00:40:11.909 has already made a huge contribution to um sustainability 00:40:11.909 --> 00:40:16.429 to indigenous people to the business community 00:40:16.429 --> 00:40:20.909 at large and He's a very practical man. He set 00:40:20.909 --> 00:40:24.309 up Dutchie Originals himself. He has direct business 00:40:24.309 --> 00:40:27.010 experience. He knows how to run a business well. 00:40:28.469 --> 00:40:32.309 He listens to people. He's very astute, and I 00:40:32.309 --> 00:40:35.289 think we're lucky to have him, and we were lucky 00:40:35.289 --> 00:40:38.849 to have his mother leading the Commonwealth and 00:40:38.849 --> 00:40:42.449 taking an interest in the business arm of that 00:40:42.449 --> 00:40:46.050 as well. If I'm an SME candidate, do I have to 00:40:46.050 --> 00:40:48.210 be a member of the council to take advantage 00:40:48.210 --> 00:40:51.550 of the council, like the great example you mentioned? 00:40:53.210 --> 00:40:56.969 We don't usually have SMEs as members, but that 00:40:56.969 --> 00:40:59.849 example came through the state government of 00:40:59.849 --> 00:41:07.980 Victoria. There was an amazing SME who was headquartered 00:41:07.980 --> 00:41:11.420 in Alberta, and they remember we would help them. 00:41:12.199 --> 00:41:14.519 I mean, there are limits to that because we can't 00:41:14.519 --> 00:41:20.400 deal with multiple SMEs in each state. But if 00:41:20.400 --> 00:41:22.860 there's something that's relevant and is a really 00:41:22.860 --> 00:41:25.219 good piece of technology or innovation or an 00:41:25.219 --> 00:41:28.820 idea or a business that's going to be relevant 00:41:28.820 --> 00:41:33.309 across multiple countries, then absolutely. And 00:41:33.309 --> 00:41:35.849 thank you for that. And just for some comparability 00:41:35.849 --> 00:41:40.030 with Australia, is it the federal government 00:41:40.030 --> 00:41:43.610 in Australia that's a member or it's the states? 00:41:43.610 --> 00:41:48.050 No, the states are members. Because the states 00:41:48.050 --> 00:41:50.469 in Australia are probably like Canada. They're 00:41:50.469 --> 00:41:52.389 all very different. Yes, that's what I was thinking. 00:41:52.650 --> 00:41:55.130 Yeah, and we're finding that's more of a trend 00:41:55.130 --> 00:41:57.610 at the moment. So we presented to one of the 00:41:57.610 --> 00:42:01.880 states of Pakistan the other day. various states 00:42:01.880 --> 00:42:04.800 of India joining because everybody's got a different 00:42:04.800 --> 00:42:09.400 trade imperative. So in Queensland, they're sort 00:42:09.400 --> 00:42:13.239 of ramping up to the Olympics in 2032 and they 00:42:13.239 --> 00:42:17.400 have different produce and different business 00:42:17.400 --> 00:42:21.239 innovations and mining operations than they do 00:42:21.239 --> 00:42:23.920 in Victoria or over in Western Australia. So 00:42:23.920 --> 00:42:27.179 the same is in Canada. So I think we are seeing 00:42:27.179 --> 00:42:31.010 a pattern of more. state governments joining. 00:42:31.829 --> 00:42:36.570 Great. So we will do our best to help facilitate 00:42:36.570 --> 00:42:40.289 those conversations and introductions, because 00:42:40.289 --> 00:42:43.090 I can think of many provinces and the territories 00:42:43.090 --> 00:42:47.030 in Canada who would benefit. And as they are 00:42:47.030 --> 00:42:50.809 as strong as they are in Australia, they have 00:42:50.809 --> 00:42:55.130 their own individual objectives. So we will see 00:42:55.130 --> 00:42:57.590 what we can do to nurture those relationships. 00:42:58.559 --> 00:43:00.920 Sam Cohen, thank you very much for a wonderful 00:43:00.920 --> 00:43:06.440 conversation. It has been great to learn in depth 00:43:06.440 --> 00:43:09.980 about the Commonwealth and the Commonwealth Trade 00:43:09.980 --> 00:43:12.079 and Investment Council and the opportunities 00:43:12.079 --> 00:43:17.559 and the power of that network that the Commonwealth 00:43:17.559 --> 00:43:19.699 provides. So thank you very much for joining 00:43:19.699 --> 00:43:22.699 us today. Thank you, Mark. It's been a great 00:43:22.699 --> 00:43:26.800 pleasure. to join you here at CII today. And 00:43:26.800 --> 00:43:29.440 I hope that the Canadian Indigenous Investment 00:43:29.440 --> 00:43:34.280 Corporation joins us again at CWIC events, and 00:43:34.280 --> 00:43:36.840 you would be more than welcome. And it really 00:43:36.840 --> 00:43:40.800 was transformative for us. And it's very important 00:43:40.800 --> 00:43:43.679 that we maintain this relationship and continue 00:43:43.679 --> 00:43:48.179 to help and support each other. Yes, and we look 00:43:48.179 --> 00:43:50.980 forward to seeing you at our summit in April. 00:43:51.610 --> 00:43:54.329 in the square mile again as well. So thank you 00:43:54.329 --> 00:43:59.730 very much. Thank you, Mark. Thank you to Sam 00:43:59.730 --> 00:44:02.210 Cohen for sharing your insights with us. And 00:44:02.210 --> 00:44:05.030 thank you for viewing and listening. Be sure 00:44:05.030 --> 00:44:07.409 to share, subscribe and leave a review on your 00:44:07.409 --> 00:44:10.170 favorite podcast channel. Mark your calendars 00:44:10.170 --> 00:44:13.090 for the upcoming 2026 Summit taking place on 00:44:13.090 --> 00:44:15.989 the 8th of April. Thanks for listening to Drumbeats. 00:44:16.070 --> 00:44:17.190 Until next time.