Asian Geopolitical Strategic Affairs Council to be established

• Initiative by several experts to enhance democratic values via promotion of ethical governance and media practices

The Asian Geopolitical Strategic Affairs Council (AGSAC), a regional initiative aimed at monitoring geopolitical developments in the region and enhancing democratic values through the promotion of ethical governance and ethical media practices, is being established by a group of distinguished experts in international relations, economics, political science, and media institutions in Sri Lanka and the Asian region. 

The AGSAC will be guided by a team of leading experts, academics, and professional media-personnel as Members of the Board of Directors. Deshamanya Prof. Mohan Munasinghe will be the President and Sugeeswara P. Senadhira, media, research, and diplomacy veteran, will serve as the Secretary General. 

Its overseas members include Society for Policy Studies, New Delhi Secretary General Tarun Basu, Consortium of South Asian Think Tanks (COSATT), Kathmandu Convenor Dr. Nishchal Pandey, Bangladesh Centre for Indo-Pacific Affairs, Dhaka Executive Director Prof. Shahab E. Khan, Global Initiative Implementation Alliance, Chongqing Director Eng. Sloan Liu Yang, and University of Karachi Department of International Relations Professor Moonis Ahmar.

Sri Lanka, though enjoying adult franchise since 1931, nevertheless continues to grapple with limited openness to broader democratic engagement in addition to differences of race, religion, caste, class, and region. The complexity has further increased due to the presence of a fragmented political party environment and a complex preferential voting system, at times hindering effective debate on important local, regional, and international matters. 

The mass media are increasingly recognised as playing a crucial role in free and democratic elections. In most democratic countries, media institutions, individual journalists, and the media in general have adopted codes of conduct, or ethical and professional standards, either voluntarily or through laws, governing the behaviour of political parties and candidates in elections.

Moreover, Sri Lanka’s failure in foreign policy to strategically engage with shifting geopolitical dynamics in the region and beyond has had tangible repercussions across multiple sectors, including but not limited to foreign direct investment, export-led industries, strategic partnership, and environmental initiatives. Similarly, educational and research collaborations that could have been fostered via bilateral and multilateral channels have not been adequately pursued.

In recognition of these challenges, the AGSAC seeks to contribute to the cultivation of more informed legislative institutions and a responsible mass media sector. In the recent Local Government Elections in Sri Lanka, more than 8,000 people’s representatives were elected to 340 Local Government bodies, such as Municipal Councils, Urban Councils, and Pradeshiya Sabhas (village-level institution). In light of this background, the AGSAC’s first initiative will be to organise strategic engagement sessions for the elected people’s representatives on democratic governing practices, Constitutional provisions, and norms and ethics of governance.

Through these efforts, the AGSAC aims to serve as a vital platform for democratic innovation, regional cooperation, and leading geopolitical discussion in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s failure in foreign policy to strategically engage with shifting geopolitical dynamics in the region and beyond has had tangible repercussions across multiple sectors, including but not limited to foreign direct investment, export-led industries, strategic partnership, and environmental initiatives. Similarly, educational and research collaborations that could have been fostered via bilateral and multilateral channels have not been adequately pursued