The United Nations Population Fund-UNFPA congratulated Sri Lanka on its achievements in developing robust national evaluation capacities, at the policy, institutional, and professional levels.

This was stated when President Ranil Wickremesinghe met with a delegation of UNFPA officials, including Mr Marco Segone, Director of the Evaluation Office of the United Nations Population Fund, at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday (27 March).

The UNFPA delegation commended President Wickremesinghe’s leadership in promoting evaluation, particularly in the public sector, which they said will play a significant role in addressing the challenges faced by Sri Lanka.

UNFPA representatives acknowledged Sri Lanka’s significant progress in developing strong national evaluation capabilities compared to other nations. As a result, President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced that a bill related to this matter would be presented to parliament for approval.

UNFPA representatives praised President Wickremesinghe’s leadership in approving the national policy on gender equality and women’s empowerment, recognizing it as a crucial step towards ensuring sexual and reproductive health and rights in Sri Lanka.

The visiting UNFPA delegation expressed their commitment to supporting the development of national evaluation capacity in the country, recognizing its importance in promoting accountability and good governance to achieve the sustainable development goals, particularly in the areas of gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Member of Parliament Mr. Kabir Hashim, National Evaluation Capacity Development Expert Mr. Asela Kalugampitiya and a group of officials from the Evaluation Office of the United Nations Population Fund were among those who participated in this event.