Minister of Justice M.U.M. Ali Sabry leads Sri Lanka delegation for 9 th Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD)

Minister of Justice M.U.M. Ali Sabry led Sri Lanka delegation for the 9 th Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) held hybrid mode at the United Nations Economic and Social Council for Asia and Pacific (UNESCAP) Secretariate in Bangkok from 28 th – 31 st March 2022.

Deputy Secretary-General of the UN Amina Mohammed and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai of Thailand made opening remarks at the 9th APFSD.

For the Bureau of the 09th APFSD Karl Kendrick Tiu Chua, Secretary of The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) of Philippines was elected as Chair. And the elected Vice-Chairs were Minister of National Planning, Housing & Infrastructure, Mohamed Aslam of Maldives, Minister of Justice Ali Sabri of Sri Lanka, Minister of Labor and Social Protection Ariunzaya Ayush of Mongolia, Minister of Finance and Economy Muhammetgeldi Serdarov of Turkmenistan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai of Thailand, Minister of Infrastructure and Meteorological Services Jone Usamate of Fiji, Minister of Education, Sport and Training Kitlang Kabua of Republic of the Marshall Islands.

Addressing at the Ministerial panel of the 9 th APFSD under theme “Building back better from COVID-19 while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Asia and the Pacific Sri Lanka’s Minister of Justice Ali Sabry of Sri Lanka emphasized that economic transformation underpinned on green growth and stronger law enforcement and rights protection regime (as an enabler to achieve all SDGs) are the key strategies identified by Sri Lanka to recover from the COVID- 19 pandemic and advance the full implementation of the SDGs.

He further emphasized that Sri Lanka is taking steps to unlock new levels of capital through innovative financing mechanisms to achieve SDGs during challenging times as a result of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the 9 th APFSD, Justice Minister Ali Sabri chaired the session on “UN acting as one on supporting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda/ System-wide results of the United Nations development system at the regional level” where Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, Chair of the Regional Collaborative Platform in Asia and the Pacific Amina J. Mohammed, made introductory remarks, and Co-Vice-Chairs of the Regional Collaborative Platform in Asia and the Pacific, UN Under-Secretary- General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, and UN Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, UNDP Kanni Wignaraja made interventions, followed by Member States and Stakeholder dialogue.

Under the Session on Sub Regional approaches to advancing SDGs, Director General of the Sustainable Development Council Chamindry Saparamadu of Sri Lanka highlighted the importance of having stronger economic regional cooperation to ensure the hard-earned development out comes are not reversed during the post pandemic era.

On side lines of the forum, Minister Ali Sabri also held bilateral meetings with Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations Amina J. Mohammed, Under Secretary General of the UN and Executive Secretary of the ESCAP Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Minister of Labour & Social Protection of Ariunzaya Ayush of the Mongolian People’ Republic.

The accompanied Ministerial Sri Lanka delegation included Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to UNESCAP C. A. Chaminda I. Colonne, Director General of Sustainable Development Council Chamindry Saparamadu, First Secretary and Deputy Permanent Representative Vireshika Bandara. Additional Secretary of Ministry of Economic Policies and Plan Implementation R. P. A. Wimalaweera, Director General of the National Planning Department R. H. W. A. Kumarasiri, Assistant Director of the Sustainable Development Council Sheron Hewawaduge joined the forum virtually from Colombo.

Embassy & Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka
Bangkok
31 st March 2022