The Commonwealth Secretariat is exploring how best to strengthen the interaction between the Commonwealth's five G-20 members and Commonwealth members who are not members of the G-20. The recent establishment of the G-20 Working Group on Development provides an opportunity to explore this interaction in the context of development.

The study is intended to present a written study describing the G-20's work to date on development and outlining the contribution which the Commonwealth, including both its G-20 and non-420 members can make to the G-20 development agenda. The study will give particular consideration to the unique development needs of Commonwealth Small States.

The study will aim to conceptualise the development agenda at the G-20 from a Commonwealth perspective which takes into amount the vulnerabilities and resilience of small states particularly in the Caribbean and the Pacific, Small and vulnerable states have different development priorities from other types of developing countries, and it is important that the G-20 Working Group on Development takes this on board. The Commonwealth will need to facilitate the process.

This paper is not intended to focus on governance aspects, but rather to provide practical roadmaps for effective G-20 consideration of development issues in ways which help developing countries and especially small and vulnerable countries. Whilst democracy is integral to an effective long-term symbiotic collaboration and advancement of development issues, this is a matter which could be taken up separately for practical purposes, with the focus of the paper and the exercise on practical, realistic and well-sequenced collaborative issues and steps.