UNFPA commends Sri Lanka on developing robust national evaluation capacities

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on Monday 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 United Nations Population Fund Director of the Evaluation Office Marco Segone at the Presidential Secretariat.

President’s Media office said the UNFPA delegation commended 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, recognising 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, recognising 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 Kabir Hashim, National Evaluation Capacity Development Expert 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.