This significant session, on Friday, 01 December, at the Commonwealth Pavilion in the Blue Zone, will feature a panel discussion with the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland, KC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Prof Nazia M Habib, Founder and Director of CRSD, Ms Zoritsa Urosevic, Executive Director of UNWTO, and other leaders of government and industry from around the Commonwealth; Prof Luis Franceschi, Assistant Director-General of the Commonwealth, will moderate the panel.

The session will unfold in two halves. The first 30 minutes will involve a panel discussion that focuses on the operational and strategic aspects of COMPASS as well as its transformative role in sustainable development for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). This discussion will centre around the topic, “COMPASS: A New Strategy for Small States to Access Climate Finance.” 

The second session will be formatted as a 'Sprint Cambridge Policy Boot Camp’ (CPBC), a condensed version of the larger Boot Camp that initially sparked the idea behind COMPASS! Participants will explore the central question: "How can the Commonwealth Secretariat use the COMPASS model to secure $30-$50m of philanthropic and commercial investment to support the sustainable growth of Kee Farms over the next 12 months?" Co-Founder, and CEO of Kee Farms, Mr Nicholas Kee, will remain in the Pavilion after the panel discussion to answer questions and underscore the financial landscape for both Kee Farms and other climate-oriented startups from Small Island Developing States.

Friday’s Speakers will Include:

• Rt Hon Patricia Scotland, KC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth
• Zoritsa Urosevic, Executive Director of the UNWTO
• Prof. Nazia M Habib, Founder and Director of CRSD, University of Cambridge
• Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP, UK Minister for Development and Africa (delivering a virtual message)Jodi-Ann, UN Expert Group on Resource Management and Coordinator of the Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network
• Mr Nicholas Kee, Co-founder and CEO of Kee Farms
• Ms Jodi-Ann Wang, UN Expert Group on Resource Management and Coordinator of the Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network

COMPASS is a novel initiative in sustainable finance for small states and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). COMPASS was developed through collaborative efforts and recently recognised at the inaugural Cambridge-Commonwealth Legal Experts Meeting; it allows small states to collectively leverage their assets, thus facilitating the attraction of non-debt finance and investment while ensuring project sovereignty. 

Created following extensive collaboration, including workshops, consultations, and surveys with nearly 5,000 Commonwealth stakeholders, COMPASS has been shaped by over 10,000 hours of design sessions, interviews, and surveys across 37 countries. Recently, COMPASS was acknowledged in the 10th Commonwealth Youth Ministerial Outcome Statement.

• Project Collaboration: Encourages SIDS to collaborate on projects addressing mutual challenges.
• Governance Pooling: Facilitates joint finance applications, benefiting governments, investors, and entrepreneurs.
• Strategic Relationships: Leverages the Commonwealth's power to build relationships between SIDS and investors.
• Sovereignty Retention: Ensures SIDS retain control over project data and implementation.

Their Future, Our Action is a collaborative initiative spearheaded by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Centre for Resilience and Sustainable Development (CRSD) at the University of Cambridge. This initiative is dedicated to enhancing Small Island Developing States' (SIDS) financial and climate resilience by employing innovative and sustainable financial strategies. It emphasises the mobilisation of resources, knowledge, and expertise to address the unique challenges faced by SIDS, focusing on climate change and economic vulnerabilities whilst integrating the pivotal roles of Youth and Nature in these efforts.