This has been a busy and productive quarter marked by two important events in COL’s calendar: the Fourth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF4) held in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, from 31 October to 3 November and the 16th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (14CCEM) that convened in Cape Town, South Africa, from December 11-14. COL can be well satisfied with the outcomes of both events, on which I comment more fully below. In this report, I shall integrate my usual update on our programme into these accounts and include a separate section on the Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth.