CIVIL SOCIETY LEADERS URGE ACTION ON DEBT, INFLATION, AND CLIMATE CHANGE, RENEW CALLS FOR RUSSIA TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR WAR CRIMES

New York, Sept. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As world leaders gather for the United Nations General Assembly, the Open Society Foundations is calling for bold steps to address critical worldwide crises, including:

• A global rescue plan that sees higher-income countries committing 2% of their GDP to tackle spiraling living costs and embracing solutions such as pricing regulations, IP waivers, and windfall taxes;
• Immediate debt relief and financial assistance to lower-income countries, including by suspending IMF/World Bank surcharges and issuing a new round of Special Drawing Rights;
• Creation of a Loss and Damage mechanism to support countries that have already experienced irreparable or severe harm due to climate change;
• Russian accountability for war crimes in Ukraine and an end to the war there; and
• More open, inclusive, and effective global institutions that reflect the make-up of the world.

"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow isn't just a line from Macbeth," said Mark Malloch-Brown, President of the Open Society Foundations. "For too long, it has also been at the heart of world leaders' plan to tackle these mounting global challenges. That has to change."

Malloch-Brown and other Open Society Foundations representatives will be in New York in September and are available to comment on the above:

• Mark Malloch-Brown, President, formerly served as UN Deputy Secretary-General to Kofi Annan, led the UN Development Programme and was vice-president at the World Bank and Minister with responsibility for Africa, Asia, and the UN under UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. He can speak about the global fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, debt relief, development assistance, and reform of international institutions.
• Laura Carvalho, Director for Equity, is a leading Brazilian economist and co-founder and Director of the Research Center on Macroeconomics of Inequality at the University of São Paulo and has written extensively on development economics and inequality. She can speak about the global economy and the need to reduce inflationary and debt pressures in the Global South.
• Yamide Dagnet, Director for Climate Justice, previously served as the Director of Climate Negotiations at the World Resources Institute, focusing on the equitable implementation of international climate agreements. She can speak about the need for climate action that is fair and equitable for all countries and communities.
• Natalie Samarasinghe, Global Director of Advocacy, formerly served as CEO of the United Nations Association-UK and Speechwriter for the President of the UN General Assembly. She can speak about global crises and the need for international action, as well as UN reform.
• Oleksandr Sushko, Executive Director, International Renaissance Foundation in Ukraine (not in New York during UNGA), was Director of the Centre for Peace, Conversion and Foreign Policy of Ukraine. He can speak about the work and needs of civil society in Ukraine and the Ukraine Democracy Fund.

The Open Society Foundations, founded by George Soros, is the world's leading funder of independent groups working for justice, democratic governance, and human rights.