Strengthening SDG integration into provincial planning and development process

As a part of its continuing capacity development efforts for the public sector to deliver on the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, the Sustainable Development Council (SDC) conducted two knowledge sessions on Mainstreaming SDGs in provincial planning and development process for the planning officers of all 09 provinces. The sessions, conducted in two batches on 25th March and 01st April for the nine Provincial Councils, underscore the importance of whole-of-government approach for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)- based planning, budgeting and monitoring.

The subjects and functions falling within the purview of the Provincial Councils and the subjects and functions to be exercised concurrently by the central government and the Provincial Councils are enumerated in the Provincial List and the Concurrent List of the Ninth Schedule to the Constitution of Sri Lanka. Accordingly, the Provincial Councils are vested with authority over important subjects and functions critical for the attainment of all 17 SDGs.

These include among others, social services, relief and rehabilitation, agriculture and agrarian services, irrigation and animal husbandry, food supply and distribution, healthcare services including provincial and rural hospitals and indigenous medicine, education, education services and provincial schools, energy infrastructure within the province, provincial housing and construction, provincial roads, bridges etc, rural development and cooperatives, land use and settlements, protection of environment within the province etc.

The workshops also included a presentation of the objectives and components of the Clean Sri Lanka Programme implemented by the Presidential Secretariat. Under the three pillars – Environmental, Social and Ethical – the Clean Sri Lanka Programme has formulated a number of initiatives focused on improving food quality and safety, clean public toilets and sanitation facilities, disabled friendly public spaces, national E-waste collection campaign, air quality improvement, clean river and beaches campaign, promoting zero tolerance of corruption and educational reforms aligned with these objectives. The synergies between the goals of the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ programme and the SDGs was also discussed.

From the Sustainable Development Council, the Director General, Chamindry Saparamadu and Director, Prasadika Basnayake provided resource inputs on SDG-based Planning while the Additional Secretary to the President, H.P.C Sugeeshwara and the Director of ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ Programme, Dulip Somiweera delivered detailed presentations on the core components of the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ Programme.

The sessions were attended by over 1000 senior level planning officers from the provincial administration including the Chief Secretaries, Deputy Chief Secretaries and the Heads of Provincial Ministries and Departments.