Thilan Wijesinghe contributes to Global South blue economy

Panellists at Cape Town Conversation 2024 (from left) Albania Economy, Culture and Innovation Deputy Minister Olta Manjani, United Kingdom University College London Energy Institute Energy and Transport Policy Senior Research Fellow Dolapo Oluteye, TWCorp (Pvt.) Ltd Chairman and Managing Director Thilan Wijesinghe and South Africa Blue Heritage Chamber of Commerce Founder Simone Smith-Godfrey with Panel Moderator German Economic Cooperation and Development Federal Ministry Head of Division Multilateral Development Policy, G20/G7, OECD/DAC Moira Feil 

• Addresses ORF’s Cape Town Conversation

TWCorp Chairman and Managing Director Thilan Wijesinghe speaks at ORF Cape Town Conversation held in South Africa

TWC Group Chairman Thilan Wijesinghe addressed the global policymakers and experts at the ORF Cape Town Conversation, recently held in Cape Town, South Africa. 

Co-hosted by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and Thabo Mbeki Foundation, the event served as a critical platform for addressing pressing Global South’s challenges, including the future of the blue economy. 

The ORF, a globally renowned think tank based in India, has over the last 30 years evolved from primarily looking inward and engaging with domestic reforms, to gradually forging global partnerships. The ORF today plays a seminal role in building political and policy consensus that enables the Global South to interact with the world. 
At the conference, Wijesinghe provided insights on how to bridge the gap between high-level policy discourse and actionable strategies, focusing on inclusive frameworks that protect coastal communities while enabling economic growth. By spotlighting real-world examples and advocating for pragmatic solutions, Wijesinghe underscored the importance of aligning investment with community resilience and environmental sustainability, meeting the growing demand for transformative leadership in addressing climate and development challenges.

Wijesinghe also advocated for the implementation of global initiatives such as the G20’s Oceans20 and importance of gender-sensitive policies, reskilling opportunities for women and multilateral collaboration to foster meaningful and equitable change in the sector. 

“As a financial and public-private partnership (PPP) practitioner, I see a growing necessity for finance ministries of the Global South to up their game in designing projects that tap into the climate financing market, whether through blue bonds, debt-for-nature swaps or other instruments. Countries such as Belize and Ecuador have shown us what is possible, reducing their debt loads significantly through such mechanisms,” noted Wijesinghe.
Wijesinghe is an investment banker, owner of TWC Group and pioneer of PPPs in Sri Lanka.

Wijesinghe further stated, “Successful implementation requires bringing together governments, private sector, financiers and a robust PPP unit that generates project designs that unlock the full potential of climate financing for sustainable, community-driven development across the Global South.”