Sri Lanka participated in the High-Level Meeting to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development, held on 23 September 2026 during the High-Level Week of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Addressing the Meeting, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in New York, Jayantha Jayasuriya, reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s strong commitment to advancing the right to development for all, both at the national and international levels.

Reflecting on Sri Lanka’s development experience, Ambassador Jayasuriya noted that the country’s recovery from the major economic crisis of 2022 has taken place against the backdrop of continuing global pressures and the impacts of Cyclone Ditwah. Despite these challenges, Sri Lanka has remained committed to advancing its development agenda and implementing the right to development at the national level.

Highlighting the central role of education in unlocking individual potential, promoting social mobility and supporting inclusive economic development, Ambassador Jayasuriya underscored Sri Lanka’s “Transform Education, Transform Sri Lanka” reforms. The reforms seek to expand vocational pathways, equip young people with skills relevant to a dynamic economy, and foster development beginning at the household level.

At the international level, Sri Lanka underscored the need for collective action to create an enabling environment for development, calling for reform of the international financial architecture, equitable access to concessional financing, greater technology sharing, and efforts to bridge the digital divide, while adapting development practices to an evolving global environment.

Sri Lanka also expressed its strong support for the adoption of an International Covenant on the Right to Development, emphasizing that the conditions necessary for development cannot be achieved in isolation and require sustained international cooperation and a shared commitment to ensuring the right to development for all.

The Meeting was attended by Heads of State/Government, Ministers and Permanent Representatives of UN Member States.

Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations
New York

27 September 2026