Asian Civil Society Organisations unite to demand bold reform of global financial architecture;
debt cancellation; and climate justice

Hundreds of civil society organisations across Asia came together to launch the Economic Justice Mobilisation in Asia on 18 June 2025 — a significant milestone in the region’s collective efforts to challenge deepening global financial inequality, rising debt burdens and climate injustice.

Watch the event here.

Representatives from civil society organisations, development networks and grassroots movements across the region united to demand systemic transformation under the call: “We Stand with Billions, Not Billionaires – Cancel the Debt, Change the System.”

Unveiling Asia’s Economic Injustice Challenges

The event opened with an introduction by GCAP co-chair Arjun Bhattarai of the NGO Federation of Nepal. He framed the mobilisation as a response to worsening inequality, debt crises and climate impacts faced by vulnerable communities in Asia.

Beena Pallical from Asia Dalit Rights Forum moderated the first session. It spotlighted pressing regional challenges.

Jomo K Sundaram, renowned economist and senior adviser at Khazanah Research Institute, Malaysia, delivered the keynote, underlining the urgent need for global financial reform to ensure fair development outcomes. Get the presentation here. 

Mustafa Talpur from Oxfam Asia revealed alarming trends of rising inequality in Asia, citing Oxfam’s recent reports on wealth concentration and corporate tax evasion. Get the presentation here.

Zia Ur Rehman of Pakistan Development Alliance highlighted how climate change disproportionately impacts Asia’s poor, exacerbating existing vulnerabilities. Get the presentation here.

Meirinda Sebayang from Jaringan Indonesia Positif (JIP) warned that cuts in international development aid could reverse decades of progress on health and social justice in Asia.

Pam Rajput, Professor Emeritus, Punjab University, India, emphasised how economic injustice aggravates gender inequality, forcing women into unpaid care roles during crises.

Aoi Horiuchi of JANIC discussed civil society’s role in the upcoming UN 4th Financing for Development (FfD4) Conference, pushing for binding global reforms. Get the presentation here. 

Ground-level realities were showcased by:

Adrian D Cruz (Wada Na Todo Abhiyan, India) presenting on wealth inequality, and
Get the Presentation here.

Tessa Reyes (Philippines Rural Reconstruction Movement) sharing the plight of climate-affected rural communities. Get the presentation here.

Launching the Mobilisation and Sign-on Campaign

In the second session, Jagat Patnaik of ActionAid International moderated the launch of the mobilisation. Praman Adhikari from SAAPE/LDC Watch presented the Sign-On Statement, calling for global debt cancellation, a new UN-led financial framework, and systemic changes to reverse the injustices faced by the Global South.

Sign-On Statement in English, French and Spanish here.

Pradeep Baisakh of GCAP and others outlined plans to mobilise civil society organisations for the upcoming FfD4 Conference in Sevilla, Spain (June 30–July 3, 2025), where governments will negotiate future development financing rules crucial to Asia’s economic justice demands.

Jamila Asanova of Asia Development Alliance offered concluding remarks, stressing the need for unified Global South voices to counter the dominance of wealthy nations and corporations in shaping the world’s economic future.

The Context: Why Economic Justice Mobilisation Matters

The mobilisation arises from stark realities:

– 230 years will be needed to end global poverty at the current rate, while the world’s first trillionaire may appear within the next decade.
– The richest 1% contribute more carbon emissions than the poorest 66%, with climate disasters hitting Asia’s marginalised the hardest.
– Nearly one-third of countries face severe debt crises, diverting funds from healthcare and education to repay wealthy creditors.

In this Jubilee Year 2025, the movement urges a once-in-a-generation chance to cancel illegitimate debts, end austerity, and build a fair, transparent and democratic financial system anchored in human rights and environmental sustainability.

Upcoming Global Advocacy Moments

Mobilisation efforts will peak at global events, where Asia’s civil society will advocate for transformative change:

• FfD4 Conference, Spain (June 30–July 3, 2025)
• World Social Summit, Qatar (November 4–6, 2025)
• COP30 Climate Summit, Brazil (November 10–21, 2025)
• G20 Summit, South Africa (November 22–23, 2025)

Broad Coalition for Change

The mobilisation in Asia is spearheaded by a broad coalition including:

1. Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) (Coordination)
2. Asia Dalit Rights Forum (ADRF)
3. Global Forum on Communities Discriminated by Work and Descent (GFoD)
4. Asia Civil Society Partnership for Sustainable Development (APSD)
5. Asia Democracy Network (ADN)
6. Asia Development Alliance (ADA)
7. People’s Vaccine Alliance (PVA), Asia Chapter
8. OXFAM-Asia
9. South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE)
10. ActionAid International – Asia Region
11. APCASO
12. LDC Watch
13. Asia People’s Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD)
14. Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation (JANIC)
15. Empower India
16. National Campaign For Sustainable Development (NACASUD-Nepal)
17. Wada Na Todo Abhiyan
18. NGO Federation of Nepal
19. Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM)
20. Noakhali Rural Development Society, Bangladesh
21. Sri Lanka United Nations Friendship Organisation (SUNFO)
22. Sanayee Development Organisation, Afghanistan
23. Pakistan Development Alliance (PDA)
24. ONE Singapore
25. Africa Japan Forum
26. Cooperation Committee of Cambodia (CCC)
27. Jaringan Indonesia Positif (JIP)

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