Sri Lanka seeks to harness women’s and youth’s potential to achieve SDGs with an ageing population

Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN 

Dr. Rohan Perera

Sri Lanka seeks to harness women’s and youth’s potential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 as the increasing ageing population will have a negative impact on the efforts in implementing the 2030 SDGs, the country’s permanent envoy to the United Nations in New York said.

Delivering a statement at the 52nd Session of the Commission on Population & Development. Dr. Rohan Perera, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN said it has been a cause for concern that the ratio for children under the age of 15 years has been on the decline, whilst the proportion of working age and the elderly, has risen.

“As Sri Lanka’s ageing population continues to increase in the future, it will have a negative impact on our efforts in implementing the 2030 Development Agenda,” Dr. Perera told the assembly.

He said it has been a cause for concern that the ratio for children under the age of 15 years has been on the decline, whilst the proportion of working age and the elderly, has risen.

“Sri Lanka is aware that the potential of women and also youth need to be harnessed in our efforts to achieve sustainable development,” the Ambassador said.

“We are strongly committed to enabling both women and youth opportunities to contribute to the enrichment of society and be an integral part of our country’s economic and political decision making processes.”

The envoy said climate change, rapid urbanization, population growth, changing age structures and migration, are a complex web of factors that will have to be addressed, to achieve meaningful progress in the future since these enormous challenges threaten the implementation efforts.

With changes in demography and lifestyle, Sri Lanka is also facing new health challenges. Non-Communicable Diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancers and asthma are increasingly prevalent.

As Sri Lanka engages in peacebuilding and reconciliation after a long drawn conflict, one of the key challenges is women-headed households. The Government has set up institutional mechanisms to enable female headed households to integrate into the workforce and access sustainable livelihoods, particularly in the Northern Province.

“Sri Lanka recognises that inclusive development rests on ensuring equal opportunities in the workplace. We have put in place necessary legal and structural mechanisms to ensure gender parity in the workplace,” the envoy noted.

Pledging full support for the ICPD Program of Action and to work with the international community to fully realise Sri Lanka’s aspirations based on the 2015 Development Agenda, Dr. Perera said Sri Lanka will work on both its national and international obligations.