News
Inter-governmental discussions on transforming region’s agrifood systems for future food security soo
Civil society organizations (CSO) from Asia and the Pacific are preparing for participation in a major multilateral conference aimed at charting a course for the region’s food security and agrifood systems transformation.
The CSO participation in FAO’s 37th Session of the Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (#APRC37) will aim to add a collective voice among civil society organizations during their contributions to discussions at the Conference – a biennial governing body session of some 46 FAO Member Nations from across the region. The CSO’s finalized their positions, in advance of #APRC37, during a virtual consultation this week.
In parallel to the CSO meetings, an online consultation amongst private sector entities is ongoing. Representatives from the private sector will also have an opportunity to provide contributions to the FAO’s regional governing body session.
Organized by the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, the #APRC37 will convene, in-person, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, the Host Country, 19-22 February 2024, with high-level representation of government ministers and leaders from across the vast region. The purpose is to review proposals and decide upon a course of action to transform the region’s agrifood systems, making them more fit-for-purpose and to ensure food security for billions of the region’s inhabitants. The FAO Director-General Dr QU Dongyu will also travel from FAO headquarters in Rome to participate in the high-level Ministerial Session.
Collective front-line wisdom an asset for the FAO Asia-Pacific conference
The CSO consultation process in the Asia-Pacific region, and opportunity for CSOs to make interventions at FAO’s Regional Conferences, has evolved since 2010, with broad-based support from the region’s civil society communities and FAO. Following on from that success, the innovative private sector consultations were also considered very successful during the last APRCs.
“From the experience gained together, I am convinced that with taking due consideration of the views of various stakeholders, such as civil society and private sector, FAO’s Members and their policymakers may better define the actions they need to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, particularly those related to ending hunger and poverty,” said Jong-Jin Kim, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, during his opening remarks to the CSO meeting.
The regional CSO meeting, supported by FAO and organized virtually by host CSOs in Sri Lanka, was attended by 100 participants from across the Asia-Pacific region, representing various constituencies including small-scale producers, fishers, pastoralists, indigenous peoples and landless organizations, rural and agricultural workers, women and youth organisations and NGOs.
A specialists committee has been appointed by the Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation adhering to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 29.12.2025 for submitting appropriate recommendations analyzing the provisions of the draft bill formulation in regard to Animal Welfare.
Based on the recommendations of the said Committee, the Legal Draftsman has been instructed at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held on 18.05.2026 to prepare the final bill on the animal welfare.
Wherefore, the Legal Draftsman has formulated the draft bill and the clearance of the Attorney General has been received in the connection.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to publish the said draft bill in the
Government Gazette Notification and subsequently forward the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
Under the legal provisions for elections in this country since 2004, it is mandatory for voters who come to mark their votes to verify their identity through a valid identity card, and it is also mandatory for all such voters to be marked with an appropriate mark using indelible ink. The dual purpose of these two functions is to prevent a voter from voting more than once in a single election.
It has been observed that having to follow two different
methods at the same time to achieve the same objective hinders the efficiency of the duties performed at the polling stations and also incurs additional costs to the government.
Therefore, it has been deemed appropriate to remove the legal provisions regarding the use of indelible ink and marking the voter with the appropriate mark from all election acts.
Accordingly, the development activities of the province, as well as national security, will benefit. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the
President to take necessary steps to remove the legal provisions
• Section 36 of the presidential Election Act, No 15 of 1981
• Section 38 of the Parliamentary Election Act, No 01 of 1981
• Section 36 of the Provincial Council Election Act, No 02 of 1988
• Section 53 A of the Local Government Elections Ordinance (262 Authority)
• Section 21 of the Referendum Act No 7 of 1981
News
Showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts
WEATHER FORECAST FOR 24 JUNE 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 24 June 2026 by the Department of Meteorology
Several spells of showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts. Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Uva province and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts after 2.00 p.m.
Fairly strong winds about (30-40) kmph can be expectedat times over the Western slopes of the central hills, the Northern, North-central, North-western and Southern provinces and in Trincomalee district.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
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Showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts
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