The 13^th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) was successfully convened in Bangkok under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). The Forum was held under the theme “Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030Agenda and its SDGs for a sustainable future for all.”

The Forum brought together Ministers and senior officials from across the region, including representatives from Member States, demonstrating the region’s collective commitment to advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Ambassador of and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to UNESCAP Wijayanthi Edirisinghe, delivered the country statement under Agenda Item 2 on “Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs.”

In her statement, the Ambassador underscored that the theme of the Forum closely aligns with Sri Lanka’s development priorities, including structural reforms, strengthened social protection, and green and digital transitions. She reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through inclusive, resilient, and evidence-based policies despite ongoing challenges, and highlighted the country’s steady progress in SDG performance and notable improvements in data availability and statistical capacity.

The Ambassador highlighted key sectoral initiatives, including efforts under SDG 6 to enhance water security through policy reforms and sustainable management, and under SDG 7 to accelerate the transition to renewable energy, with a target of generating 70 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2030. She also emphasized progress under SDG 9 in advancing industrial transformation and innovation, alongside targeted support for micro, small and medium enterprises.

Further, she noted Sri Lanka’s initiatives under SDG 11 to promote sustainable urban development and reduce multidimensional poverty, including through community-driven programmes. Underscoring the importance of partnerships under SDG 17, she highlighted steps to strengthen data governance through a new National Statistics framework and called for enhanced international cooperation, particularly in climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity-building support for vulnerable countries.

Ms. Jeevanthie Senanayake, Director General of the Sustainable Development Council, also participated in the proceedings and engaged with different working groups/discussions and emphasized Sri Lanka’s commitment and progress for achieving SDGs 2030. Further, Ms. Vishakha Amarasekara, Additional Director General of the Department of External Resources attended the Round Table on the Follow-up to the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development which was convened during the 13th APFSD.

Sri Lanka’s participation at the Forum reaffirmed its commitment to collaborative regional efforts and its determination to ensure that the promise of the 2030 Agenda is realized for all.

Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka in Bangkok

15 April 2026