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SL behind schedule in estimating its financial commitment towards Sustainable Development Goals
By Ifham Nizam
Sri Lanka was yet to estimate its financial commitment towards implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and had not assessed its potential gains from such an investment and is yet to align its national economic policies, financial systems and investment strategies with the 2030 Agenda, noted Executive Director of the Centre for Environment and Development, Uchita de Zoysa, last week.
Speaking at the Symposium on the National Crisis from a Sustainable Development Assessment: Based on 2022 Independent Monitoring, Evaluation & Reviews of the SDGs, on Friday, in Colombo, Zoysa said Sri Lanka had not been able to mobilise additional external or internal resources required for transformative action towards achieving the SDGs.
The United Nations has estimated that USD 5 trillion to USD 7 trillion per year is needed between 2015 and 2030 to achieve the SDGs globally, and USD 3.3 trillion to USD 4.5 trillion per year in developing countries. Estimates also show that achieving the SDGs could open up USD 12 trillion of market opportunities and create 380 million new jobs, and that action on climate change would result in savings of about US$ 26 trillion by 2030, he added.
Zoysa also said that a ‘Domestic Resource Mobilization Framework for SDGs’ was formulated in 2020, in Sri Lanka, as an independent contribution to the national effort, and as a transformative model for the rest of the world, as well.
The framework addresses recalibrating four critical contexts towards implementing the SDGs; the policy context, the localising context, the financing context, and the transformation context. Domestic resource mobilisation will be defined by addressing systemic issues for resource governance, resource relationships and resource regeneration.
Resource Governance is how resource flows are regulated, he said, adding that it is managed within the tiers of governance, national-provincial-local, as well as the self-governance of resources by non-state actors, including international, private, civil society, community and individuals. Resource Relationships are how the flow of resources through investment and financing transpire between different stakeholders and actors. Resource Regeneration is how resources are invested within the ecosystem for intra-generational equity and harvested for inter-generational equity.
The Domestic Resource Mobilization Framework for SDGs in Sri Lanka’ is a linkages model of elements, facilitating the recalibration of the contexts that SDGs are implemented across the governance tiers and supported by tools. “It intends to support the efforts of the Government and its stakeholders towards implementing the SDGs in Sri Lanka. The Framework provides a platform to design policy instruments and strategic interventions towards advancing sustainable development,” he added.
He said that aiming to provide greater strategic foresight, the Framework does not attempt to present a prescriptive proposal on national planning and budgeting. The Framework is to inspire resource mobilisation for transformative action across national, subnational and community levels as a whole of society. The objective of the Framework is to engage public, private, civil society and all stakeholders at national, subnational and community levels in reimagining domestic resource mobilisation, reorganising the resource flows, and reinvesting in transformational pathways towards the recalibration of the context of implementing the SDGs.
Expert panelist Professor Sarath Kotagama said that to improve the ecosystem services, Sri Lanka needs to increase the forest cover in the Central Hills and wet zones.
He also said that here is a debate on the definition of the forest. “We need to come out from this confusion to solve the national crisis and environmental issues in this country,” he stressed.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
