International Development – Page 2

Factum Perspective: The Environmental Implications of Adani’s Entry

Climate and environment, Health and Economic Cooperation, International DevelopmentMarch 31, 2024521Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Amantha Gunarathna Adani Group's recent announcement of a USD 750 million investment in Sri Lanka's power sector seemingly marks a significant stride towards bolstering the country's energy infrastructure. This investment underscores the growing recognition of the importance of transitioning towards sustainable energy sources globally. However, amidst the optimism, scrutiny arises concerning Adani's track record…

Factum Perspective: Thailand Strengthens Economic Ties with Sri Lanka

Health and Economic Cooperation, International DevelopmentFebruary 11, 2024389Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Flavia Gunarathna In a significant stride towards economic revitalization, Thailand and Sri Lanka signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), marking an important moment in diplomatic and economic relations between the two nations. As Sri Lanka grapples with its worst financial crisis in decades, the FTA is anticipated to play a crucial role in fostering…

Factum Special Perspective: South Africa’s “moment” in International Law

International Development, Peace and ConflictJanuary 16, 2024608Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Ramindu Perera Last week, South Africa referred Israel’s actions in the occupied Gaza Strip to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) arguing that the military operations amount to the crime of genocide. The oral hearings of the case were held on 11 and 12 January at the Hague, and the case has already attracted…

Factum Perspective: Combating Nitrogen Pollution in South Asia – Cooperation as a Tool

Climate and environment, Health and Economic Cooperation, International Development, Science and TechnologyDecember 23, 2023624Views 1Like 0Comments

By Amanda Gunarathna Nitrogen pollution, a growing concern in environmental science, refers to the excessive release of nitrogen compounds into ecosystems, predominantly originating from human activities such as industrial processes, agriculture, and fossil fuel combustion. While Nitrogen is an essential element for life, an excess of it can lead to detrimental consequences for ecosystems…

Factum Perspective: Climate Change Diplomacy in Sri Lanka

Climate and environment, Health and Economic Cooperation, International DevelopmentNovember 25, 2023994Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Minoli Gunarathna Climate change refers to long-term, major changes in the global climate. Given the increasingly dire global climate situation, international cooperation must be prioritised. Climate diplomacy is a strategy approach that highlights the need of incorporating climate goals and addressing climate-related concerns at the highest level of diplomatic interaction and across multiple policy…

Factum Special Perspective: The Role of International Fellowships in Bridging Knowledge Gaps and Spurring Entrepreneurship

International Development, Peace and Conflict, UncategorizedNovember 9, 2023562Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Tahira Sheriff In a world brimming with challenges, the power of unity, collaboration, and shared purpose shines ever more brightly. Such is the saga of my journey through the Professional Fellowship Exchange Program organized by the US Department of State. Over five weeks, I figured among 20 exceptional fellows from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India,…

Factum-Arutha Perspective: IMF and Governance

Health and Economic Cooperation, International DevelopmentOctober 29, 2023686Views 0Likes 0Comments

The failure to tackle poor governance has long since been a thorn in the side of Sri Lanka’s developmental efforts. Governance issues linked to the economy have become especially relevant in recent times since demands for system-wide change expressed during the 2022 crisis remains fresh in the minds of many. But despite eloquent campaign promises,…

Factum Special Perspective: Global Scholarships, Geopolitical Strife

Health and Economic Cooperation, International Development, Regional GeopoliticsOctober 25, 2023468Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Vinod Moonesinghe Growing US security concerns about China's rapid technological progress have led to increased scrutiny of academic programs involving China or Chinese scholars. This has led to the resignation of experts such as Denis Simon from the University of North Carolina, who left due to restrictive government policies. Simon complains about university fears…

Factum Perspective: “Fair Multipolarity” gains momentum at the 20th Valdai Conference

Health and Economic Cooperation, International Development, Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsOctober 21, 2023570Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Sanja de Silva Jayatilleka The Valdai Discussion Club, established in 2004, held its 20th meeting in Sochi, Russia from October 2 to 5, seeing over 140 “leading experts” from 42 countries attending the conference despite ongoing hostilities between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin attended the conference for the plenary session on…

Factum Perspective: The President in New York

Belt Road Initiative and Indo-Pacific Policy, Health and Economic Cooperation, International Development, Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsSeptember 23, 2023762Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Uditha Devapriya The last week has been very busy for President Ranil Wickremesinghe. First he travelled to Cuba, in time for the G77 Plus China Heads of State Summit in Havana from September 15 to 16. Largely dismissed by the Western press, the Summit saw the participation of delegations from more than a…

Factum Perspective: The Rise of Africa

Health and Economic Cooperation, International Development, Peace and ConflictSeptember 17, 2023453Views 0Likes 0Comments

The emergence of new economic powerhouses within Africa has been a defining recent phenomenon. These emerging powers are playing an increasingly pivotal role in shaping the continent's economic landscape, challenging established norms, and spearheading transformative development. Emerging powers like Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, and Ethiopia are driving this change in Africa's trajectory, along with other…

Factum Perspective: The BRICS, SCO, and the emerging Multipolar order

Belt Road Initiative and Indo-Pacific Policy, Health and Economic Cooperation, International Development, Regional GeopoliticsSeptember 8, 2023559Views 1Like 0Comments

By Shakthi de Silva Of late, headlines have been dominated by news of the BRICS deciding, at its 15th Summit in Johannesburg, to add six new members from 2024. The news should not necessarily come as a surprise, as the original members, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, agreed during the 14th BRICS…