When it comes to restructuring the world’s debt, Mia Mottley and Amina Mohammed agree: The status quo isn’t working, and the stakes could not be higher.
“Don’t be arrogant about feeling that civilizations can’t fall, or species can’t become extinct,” warned Mottley, the prime minister of Barbados, at the Global Inclusive Growth Summit last Thursday. “The notion that in the 21st century, we cannot become a failed civilization or failed humanity is unbelievable.”
For Mottley, it’s personal. When the prime minister took office in 2018, Barbados had the third-highest debt-per-capita rank of any country in the world. Within one week, Mottley said, she knew she had to restructure the country’s debt.
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About the author
Elissa Miolene
Elissa Miolene reports on USAID and the U.S. government at Devex. She previously covered education at The San Jose Mercury News, and has written for outlets like The Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Washingtonian magazine, among others. Before shifting to journalism, Elissa led communications for humanitarian agencies in the United States, East Africa, and South Asia.
