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Economic Diplomacy

From National Champions to Public Owners: What Dangote’s IPO Means for the Global South

Mark Dekpe Dangote’s “People’s IPO” widens access to a major African enterprise. Yet national belonging, share ownership, corporate control, and wealth redistribution are not the same. Across Africa and South Asia, large companies are often presented as symbols of national development and economic sovereignty. Their significance will depend on whether public identification becomes durable material…

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Myths and realities of Sri Lanka’s proposed ban on raw mineral exports: What would it take for Sri Lanka to add value to its minerals?

Hasarel Gallage Sri Lanka's new National Mineral Policy presents a zealous ambition. By calling for a ban on exporting minerals without value addition, it provides an appealing target to maximise Sri Lanka’s profits earned from its mineral resources. But a closer look beyond the buzzwords reveals a more complicated picture marred by industrial realities and…

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Balancing Powers: A New Direction for Bangladesh’s Foreign Policy

Kawsar Mia and Abdul Momen Bangladesh should stop treating foreign policy as a choice between rival camps. A more durable strategy is to build a diversified portfolio of partnerships, using different countries for trade, technology, connectivity, labour mobility and finance, while keeping strategic dependence on any single power to a minimum. Foreign Policy Should Be…

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From Precarity to Modern Slavery: What Sri Lanka Needs to Know

By Gayani Samarakoon Precarious work remains a major global concern despite strong legal frameworks and multi-stakeholder initiatives such as International Labor Organization (ILO) conventions and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to promote decent work. Yet new, increasingly insecure forms of work continue to emerge. In Sri Lanka, platform work, operating…

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