UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP’s Asia-Pacific Regional Director to visit Sri Lanka
Thursday, 6 February 2014 00:00
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Xu to discuss key development priorities and needs for strengthening development support
Haoliang Xu, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, Chair, United Nations Development Group Asia-Pacific and UNDP Assistant Administrator & Director, Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific will be visiting Sri Lanka from 9-12 February, 2014.
During the visit, Xu is expected to meet and exchange views with high-level government officials, development partners and the civil society. He will gain a perspective of the progress made by the UN System during the first year of implementation of the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2013-2017, while transitioning from a largely humanitarian to a development-focused program in Sri Lanka.
Xu will also engage in a policy dialogue with eminent economists and representatives from think-tanks on Sri Lanka’s development outlook, and with a cross-section of women leaders on issues pertaining to gender-based violence in Sri Lanka.
Further, Xu will also undertake a visit to the northern districts, where he will meet with government officials, representatives from community based organisations and beneficiaries and gain a first-hand understanding of the development priorities in the districts and further support needs. He will also visit UN/UNDP supported livelihood development projects on the ground.
A highlight of Xu’s visit will be the launching of one of the key UNDP supported programs, ‘Strengthening Enforcement of Law, Access to Justice and Social Integration’ (SELAJSI). The program is a joint initiative of four ministries, namely, the Ministry of National Languages and Social Integration, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms and the Ministry of Child Development and Women’s Affairs, implemented to ensure that gains in the justice sector are institutionalised, systemised and scaled-up.
UNDP is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help empower lives and build resilient nations. UNDP in Sri Lanka works with the Government and all its partners to support the country achieve equitable and sustainable human development.
