The Commonwealth International Aid Commission is a constituent organisation of the Parliament of State.
| Commonwealth International Aid Commission | |
|---|---|
| Constituent of the Parliament of State | |
| Employees | 430 |
| Headquarters | Commonwealth Aid Commission, Praia |
The Commonwealth International Aid Commission is a constituent of the Bureau of Foreign Alms and Relief responsible for the civilian aid works of the Commonwealth abroad. Key priorities include education and healthcare, delivered through exports of qualified professionals. The Commonwealth is one of the world’s largest exporters of medical aid, with doctors and nurses spending time overseas as part of their training. The commission was established in 1972 and is headquartered in Praia.
The commission carries out these programmes for the bureau, which pays for part of its work. It has a few hundred projects running at a time, mostly farms, hospitals and schools, and a lot of its staff are doctors and teachers sent abroad as part of their training, or conscripts serving their Corsosva with it.
The commission is best known in Africa. For example, the education system in Darfur was built almost entirely from the ground up with a flood of Commonwealth bureaucrats and teachers. Its shipments are marked CAM, for Commonwealth Acts of Mercy, and are a familiar sight in West African ports. Relief after a disaster is brought first by the ships of the Common Navy, and the commission’s work usually begins once they have left. It is led by a Chief Commissioner, who reports to the bureau.
Department of Projects
145Design and inspection of aid projects.
Department of Technical Missions
95Specialist teams sent to recipient countries.
Department of Stores
85Purchase, storage and shipment of aid materials.