Hon. Robert Abela
Prime Minister of Malta
Welcome to the Malta portal of the Commonwealth of Nations website.
Malta has been holding out a welcoming hand to visitors and investors as an independent nation for nearly 50 years.
We lie in the Mediterranean with 300 days of sunshine a year. We have fantastic heritage with many treasures from the period of the Knights of St John. The more recent British period is evident in the red phone boxes and red letter boxes which still adorn our islands and delight tourists.
Malta has a thriving economy with high levels of employment. It has proved to be an attractive place for many companies to do business, especially with our use of the English language and access to the open European market.
As you explore Malta online I hope we whet your appetite to visit us soon.
Malta remains a proud member of the Commonwealth and offers the hand of friendship to Commonwealth citizens around the world.
The above message was provided by the previous Prime Minister.
Malta in the Commonwealth
did you know?
- Malta has been a member of the Commonwealth since 1964
- Malta became an independent country on the 21st of September 1964
- Malta has been competing in the Commonwealth Games since 1958, and has won four medals over that period of time
- The Commonwealth Network of Information Technology for Development (COMNET-IT) has its secretariat in Valletta and a Maltese national, Henry Alamango, is its executive director. COMNET-IT has championed the development of the Commonwealth Action Programme for the Digital Divide
- Paul Zahra is Vice-President of the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management, which is dedicated to strengthening public management throughout the Commonwealth
- Dr Myra Tilney and Dr Martin Balzan were until recently Treasurer and Secretary, respectively, of the Commonwealth Medical Association
- Scholarships and fellowships are awarded by Malta to citizens of other Commonwealth countries under the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan
- This country hosts a national chapter of the Commonwealth Human Ecology Council
- Malta is one of only three Commonwealth member countries in Europe, all of which are island states and members of the European Union
- Overall, Malta has the best pupil-teacher ratio in the Commonwealth with average class sizes of 10 and 11 at secondary and primary school, respectively
- Malta has the highest number of telephone landlines per capita in the Commonwealth, 566 for every 1,000 inhabitants
Commonwealth meetings hosted
- 1994 Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting
- 2000 Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting
- 2005 CHOGM, resulting in the Valletta Statement on Multilateral Trade; the Malta Declaration on Networking the Commonwealth for Development; and the Gozo Statement on Vulnerable Small States
Commonwealth Projects
Setup of Debt Management Office (2007/08)
This Commonwealth funded project assisted Malta to efficiently manage its domestic and external (public) debt and meet the reporting requirements of the European Union and the IMF/World Bank. Advice was provided on establishing the Debt Management Office (DMO) and implementing CS-DRMS 2000+, including training of DMO staff.
Consultant, Child Protection Service (2005/06)
The Malta Child Protection Services Unit (APPOG) was staffed by 14 social workers at the time of the request for assistance. The services of an expert were made available to the unit for 100 days in order to review standards and procedures within the unit and develop protocols for handling child abuse cases and to assess children requiring protection; assist with case reviews and counselling conferences; conduct research on children’s needs and train professional staff to raise levels of service delivery.
Marketing Plan and Promotion of Professional Services (2005/06)
Technical assistance was provided, on behalf of the Commonwealth Secretariat, to develop a national marketing plan to guide the implementation of a programme for the expansion and diversification of the export of professional services. The plan will assist the Malta External Trade Corporation Ltd (METCO) improve the competitiveness of the professional services sector and enable it to focus its activities on the promotion of the export of professional services.
Environment Waste Management (2001)
Technical assistance was provided, on behalf of the Commonwealth Secretariat, to assist the preparation of a Waste Management Strategic Plan for Malta and an implementation schedule and to provide staff training in the management of waste. An integrated approach towards waste management is being promoted which will also assist in building the capacity of all institutions responsible for waste management as well as lead to improvement in health and expansion of tourism.
Consultant, Fire Safety Engineer, Building Construction Industry Department (1999)
The expert, provided by the Commonwealth Secretariat, advised and assisted the Department of Building Construction Industry to undertake a thorough review and revision of building and fire safety regulations.
