News
UN Technical Electoral Needs Assessment Mission conducts wide ranging consultations with stakeholders in Parliament
A high-level United Nations Technical Electoral Needs Assessment Mission held a series of consultations at the Parliament premises on Monday (07), with key stakeholders, to explore opportunities for international support to strengthen Sri Lanka’s electoral process.
The delegation met with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and a group of Government MPs, followed by separate discussions with Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and Opposition legislators. Consultations were also held with members of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus and the Parliamentary Caucus for Youth.
The visit was undertaken at the request of the Election Commission of Sri Lanka. The mission sought insights from a broad spectrum of actors including government representatives, political parties, election observers, civil society groups and development partners. Discussions focused on enhancing the efficiency, transparency and inclusivity of the country’s electoral framework.
Among the key issues addressed were strengthening electoral integrity, increasing women’s political representation, advancing political literacy and voter education, promoting digitalisation of the electoral process, empowering voters, safeguarding voting rights, and addressing barriers faced by women and youth in politics.
The UN delegation commended the Election Commission for its role in ensuring credible and transparent elections and expressed its willingness to extend technical assistance for ongoing and future electoral reforms.
The mission comprised senior officials from UN Headquarters, including Michele Griffin, Director of the Electoral Assistance Division; Dan Malinovich, Electoral Policy Specialist; Amanda Stark, Political Affairs Officer in the Asia and the Pacific Division; and Mikyong Kim, Political/Electoral Affairs Officer.
Director of Legislative Services and Acting Director of Communication of Parliament M. Jayalath Perera, UNDP Sri Lanka Team Lead for Inclusive Governance Chandrika Karunaratna, and UNDP Media and Parliament Specialist Chathuranga Hapuarachchi also participated in the meetings.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in a high-level dialogue titled “Tourism as Soft Power and Diplomatic Capital” held at the Euronews Hub, Piz Buin Davos, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on January 20.
The session explored how tourism functions as a strategic instrument of diplomacy by strengthening international trust, cultural exchange, and regional cooperation through mobility and people-to-people engagement. The Prime Minister shared the panel with Mr. Kuban Omiraliyev, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States and Mr. Meshari Alnahar – CEO Aseer Investment Company, Saudi Arabia.
Addressing global trends, the Prime Minister emphasized that Sri Lanka is an example of hope, recovery and resilience in a world of conflict demonstrating how tourism can play a critical role in a changing global environment particularly amid climate shocks, geopolitical instability, and uneven economic recovery. She noted that tourism is not only an economic sector but also a vital diplomatic bridge that supports livelihoods, builds relationships and connects people.
Drawing on Sri Lanka’s recent experience, she highlighted the country’s strong tourism recovery despite multiple crises, including the impact of Cyclone Ditwah. Transparent crisis management and strategic engagement with international partners helped sustain visitor confidence, resulting in record tourist arrivals even in challenging circumstances.
The Prime Minister also underscored the importance of green and climate friendly tourism infrastructure and underlined that Sri Lanka welcomes long term investment in tourism. She pointed out that tourism supports millions of jobs worldwide and that inclusive policies are essential to ensure fair opportunities, particularly for women and vulnerable communities.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 20 Jan 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized two (02) Indian fishing boats and apprehended seven (07) Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, off Kovilan, Jaffna.
The seized boats and Indian fishermen was to be handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna for onward legal proceedings.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in a series of high-level bilateral meetings on January 20 on the sidelines of the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.
The Prime Minister attended a productive bilateral meeting with Mr. Jozef Síkela, European Commissioner for International Partnerships. During the discussion, both sides focused on strengthening Sri Lanka–EU cooperation and advancing mutual interests.
Prime Minister Amarasuriya also met with Mr. Masato Kanda, President and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), at the WEF Congress Centre. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss ongoing engagement and future collaboration between Sri Lanka and the ADB.
In addition, the Prime Minister held discussions with Mr. Hassan El Houry, Chairman of Menzies Aviation, where opportunities for collaboration in aviation services and connectivity were explored.
The Prime Minister also participated in a high-level dialogue at the Global Tourism Forum held at the Euronews Hub, Piz Buin, Davos, as part of the World Economic Forum engagements.
Dr. Anil Jayantha, Minister of Labour, and the Deputy Minister of Finance were also present at these meetings.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
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