Bangkok: Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to UNESCAP, Ambassador Wijayanthi Edirisinghe, held a meeting with Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), at the organization’s headquarters in Bangkok. The discussion focused on enhancing the collaboration between Sri Lanka and UNESCAP to support sustainable development goals.

According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Edirisinghe expressed gratitude to the Executive Secretary for her ongoing support towards Sri Lanka. She emphasized the significance of attracting feasible projects to achieve sustainable development and highlighted the need for a scrutinized mechanism to prevent shortcomings. The Executive Secretary pointed out the importance of having fallback measures and a focus on trade and income generation to address economic challenges.

The Ambassador appreciated the opportunity to engage in dialogue in Bangkok and sought additional information on UNESCAP’s initiatives that could aid Sri Lanka’s economic recovery. In response, the Executive Secretary discussed UNESCAP’s collaboration with the Sri Lankan government on macroeconomic policies and financing development projects. She mentioned the partnership with the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka on projects aimed at fostering economic growth.

The meeting also touched on regional initiatives such as ‘Scaling up Climate Finance in Asia-Pacific’ and ‘Catalyzing finance and investments for climate action.’ These projects have enabled Sri Lanka to access sustainable financing, develop green bond frameworks, and explore debt-for-climate swap mechanisms. The initiatives aim to support Sri Lanka’s economic recovery and climate resilience goals, with collaboration from national institutions like the Ministry of Finance, Central Bank, and international partners such as UNDP and the Luxembourg Green Exchange.

UNESCAP’s support extends beyond climate finance, offering policy advice on trade, investment, digitalization, electric mobility, ICT development, women’s entrepreneurship, and more. These initiatives aim to aid Sri Lanka’s economic recovery and sustainable development.

The meeting was attended by key officials including Tsuen Yip Jonathan Wong, Sudip Ranjan Basu, Thilini Ihalage, and Shiwanthi Abeyarathne, highlighting the importance of the continued partnership between Sri Lanka and UNESCAP.