Navigating a progressive path towards an equitable Sri Lanka

AN INDEPENDENT THINK TANk: Advocating for a system that REWARDs WORk, Not WEalth

Cyclone Strikes Sri Lanka

30 November 2025:  A devastating cyclone has struck Sri Lanka, inflicting unprecedented damage across an already debt-burdened nation. Communities have been displaced, critical infrastructure destroyed, and essential services severely disrupted.

 

In the wake of this devastation, significant resources are urgently needed to meet the immediate needs of affected families, restore vital infrastructure, and support the long-term effort to rebuild a more climate-resilient Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s economic crisis was widely attributed to local corruption, poor governance and mismanagement.  However, the country’s crisis is also enabled by flawed global systems, institutions and treaties.
 
Borne out of our initial efforts in calling for debt justice, IPE is joining other campaigners, both locally and globally, to seek viable alternatives to mitigate against an unjust global economic order.
 
With the election of a new government, Sri Lanka can engage globally to improve the well-being of its people and environment, and to work towards an equitable nation.
 
Our vision and focus must therefore be both within the country and outside.   In our globalised world economic order, it is imperative to shine a light on behaviour of institutions and governments both nationally and internationally. 
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Submission to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
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Why Debt for Nature Swaps Won't Save Sri Lanka
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Tax Reform Options for Sri Lanka
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Polycrisis and Reconciliation
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Alternative Debt Restructuring Strategy

Programmes

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Debt Justice

Calling for cancellation of the odious sovereign debts of Sri Lanka

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Gender Justice

Reducing plight of working women who bear a heavy burden of the debt crisis

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Climate Justice

Calling for risk mitigation action to protect people and the environment

Perspectives

Acknowledge imperfections of the global economic order and mitigate risks to the local economy by protecting against major vulnerabilities

Challenge status-quo and select alternative policy options for improving well-being of people and environment

Highlight impact from Sri Lanka’s stolen assets held overseas and illicit financial flows out of the country

Why a system change is urgently needed.

To bring an end to the global north-south divide.​

"With the power of the pen, we can impose natural disaster and pandemic clauses in our debt. With the power of the pen, we can change the capital that is available to multilateral development banks, that will remove the barriers that currently exist for us to fight poverty. With those commitments, we can make a difference in today's world and let us do so recognising that a world that reflects an imperialistic order and hypocrisy and lack of transparency will not achieve that mission.” ​

- Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, UN General Assembly (20 Sept 2022)
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To reduce impact on Sri Lanka driven by global inequality

"Ultra high net worth individuals" — hold an astoundingly disproportionate share of global wealth. (Inequality.org)

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To improve well-being of people facing hardship

Income and wealth inequality in Sri Lanka (Ground Views)

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To strengthen domestic fiscal position

Corruption: Secrecy and off-shore tax havens (Tax Justice Network)

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To obtain a sustainable solution to Sri Lanka's debt crisis

182 experts calling for debt cancellation (Debt Justice UK)

To democratise global institutions

Towards a more effective, networked, and inclusive multilateral system (UN High-level Advisory Board)

To work towards a fairer global financial architecture

How major banks turned a blind eye to theft of billions (The Bureau of Investigative Journalism)

To build a new global order

"Neoliberal globalisation is not working. A new multilateralism that differs from the current neoliberal framework, offering an alternative basis for global cooperation needs to be built."

Prof Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Laureate, European University Institute (28 Sept 2023)

Associates calling for change

The purpose of studying economics is not to acquire a set of ready-made answers to economic questions, but to learn how to avoid being deceived by economists.

Joan Robinson