Dear Reader,
Last week’s webinar cast a spotlight on the next phase of global debt reform, arriving at a pivotal moment as the international community prepares for COP31 and a new cycle of G20 and G7 negotiations. Senior policymakers, international experts, and civil society voices gathered for this discussion to focus on practical pathways for reform. Together, they explored what can be achieved in the short and medium term and which innovative or non-traditional options could help shift the current trajectory.
The webinar also paid tribute to the legacy of Shamshad Akhtar, founding Co-Chair of the DRGR Project, a distinguished development economist, Pakistani and global public servant whose leadership and lived experience profoundly shaped international debates on debt, development, and economic justice.
Today, we must announce the conclusion of the DRGR Project’s activities due to financial and personnel constraints. This was by no means an easy choice as the project’s mission remains very close to our hearts, and its objectives are, politically, as relevant and urgent as ever.
We extend our deepest gratitude to our institutional partners—the Centre for Sustainable Finance at SOAS University of London, under the leadership of Ulrich Volz, and, until early last year, the Global Development Policy Center at Boston University, led by Kevin Gallagher, along with their dedicated teams. We also recognize theinvaluable contributions of the project’s Co-Chairs and Advisory Board, whose efforts have been instrumental in reshaping the global discourse on sovereign debt.
Launched in the summer of 2020, the Debt Relief for a Green and Inclusive Recovery (DRGR) Project has served as a beacon of collaboration and innovation. By uniting voices from around the world, DRGR addressed one of the defining challenges of our era: the intersection of the debt crisis with climate change and lost development.
Above all, we want to express our deepest gratitude to you, our dear readers. Thank you for following our work over the years, for subscribing to this newsletter, and for engaging with the ideas and conversations we’ve shared. Your interest and support have been invaluable.
While this chapter closes, we hope that the momentum and insights generated by DRGR will inspire continued action and progress in this critical field.
Since this newsletter will be no longer active, you may consider subscribing to the newsletter Transformative Economy to stay updated on the Heinrich Boell Foundation's work and events on international economic policy.
Warm regards,
Your Debt Relief for Green and Inclusive Recovery Team
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