Sri Lanka will undergo its first review under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) before the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities during the Committee’s 35th session in Geneva today (14).

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the review will take the form of an interactive dialogue between the Government of Sri Lanka’s delegation and the CRPD Committee, with members participating both in person in Geneva and virtually from Colombo.

Sri Lanka’s delegation will be led by Upali Pannilage, Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment. Senior officials from the Ministry of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, and the Attorney‑General’s Department will join the discussions, alongside representatives of Sri Lanka’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva. Officials from other relevant ministries and institutions will participate virtually from Colombo.

Sri Lanka ratified the CRPD in 2016 and submitted its initial report in October 2019. In December 2025, the government responded to a list of issues raised by the Committee, providing further information on implementation. The upcoming review offers an opportunity to take stock of progress and engage in constructive dialogue on measures to protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities.

The Committee’s 35th session runs from 12 to 27 August 2026 in Geneva, with Sri Lanka’s review scheduled alongside those of Slovakia, Qatar, Lithuania, and Chile. (Newswire)

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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff and the Sri Lankan authorities have reached a staff-level agreement on economic policies to conclude the combined 5th and 6th Reviews of Sri Lanka’s reform program supported by the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility.

According to the IMF, Sri Lanka will have access to about USD 700 million in financing once the review is approved by the IMF Executive Board.

In a statement, the IMF said that the economic reforms implemented by the Sri Lankan authorities have continued to support the recovery, with reserves accumulating and real GDP growth and revenue mobilization outperforming expectations. 

However, Sri Lanka is significantly exposed to the Middle East conflict and needs to build back better following Cyclone Ditwah.

The IMF further stated that advancing reforms is even more critical now to safeguard macroeconomic stability and maintain the economy on a path towards recovery and inclusive growth. 

Building economic resilience is a necessity to better withstand exogenous shocks amid an uncertain environment, it added. 

Full statement by IMF Mission Chief for Sri Lanka, Evan Papageorgiou:

IMF staff and the Sri Lankan authorities have reached staff-level agreement on the combined Fifth and Sixth Reviews under the 4-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement. The arrangement was approved by the IMF Executive Board for a total amount of SDR 2.3 billion (about US$3 billion) on March 20, 2023.

The staff-level agreement is subject to IMF Executive Board approval, contingent on: (i) the restoration of cost-recovery electricity and fuel pricing while protecting the vulnerable and (ii) the completion of the financing assurances review, to confirm multilateral partners’ financing contributions and assess adequate progress with debt restructuring.

Upon completion of the Executive Board review, Sri Lanka would have access to SDR 508 million (about US$700 million), bringing the total IMF financial support disbursed under this arrangement to SDR 1,778 million (about US$2.4 billion).

Sri Lanka’s ambitious reform agenda continues to deliver commendable outcomes. The economy grew by 5 percent y/y in 2025. Inflation has returned to positive territory and rebounded to 2.2 percent y/y in March, and gross official reserves reached US$7 billion in end-March 2026. Fiscal performance in 2025 was strong, primarily supported by taxes on motor vehicle imports. Debt restructuring is nearing completion, with the successful completion of Sri Lankan Airlines’ debt exchange and further progress in finalizing remaining bilateral agreements.

Sri Lanka is significantly exposed to the Middle East conflict, which has heightened energy prices, disrupted a key air hub for tourists, and affected Sri Lankans working in the region. Authorities have ameliorated disruptions to economic activity by securing sufficient fuel supplies for households and industries. At the same time, the country needs to address the infrastructure and spending needs caused by Cyclone Ditwah. Heightened downside risks to the economy from disaster risks, persistent trade policy uncertainty and the conflict in the Middle East emphasize the urgency to accelerate the reform momentum to safeguard macroeconomic stability, enhance Sri Lanka’s resilience to shocks, and maintain the economy on a path toward recovery and inclusive growth.

On this front, it is important to continue building fiscal space through strong revenue measures and prudent spending execution. This requires sustained efforts to improve tax compliance, broaden the tax base, address revenue leakages, and enhance public financial management. It is instrumental to restore and maintain cost-recovery fuel and electricity pricing while assisting the most vulnerable. Continued vigilance is needed to minimize fiscal risks and safeguard fiscal discipline.

As Sri Lanka starts building back better, projects should be prioritized judiciously and spending executed transparently and in compliance with the Public Financial Management Act. Any fiscal support in response to exogenous shocks should be well-targeted, carefully costed, and timebound. Protecting the poor and vulnerable, who are disproportionately affected, should remain a priority, and this calls for the steadfast strengthening of social safety nets by improving their targeting, adequacy, coverage, and shock-responsiveness.

It is important for monetary policy to remain data-dependent and agile to safeguard price stability in the face of shocks. Central bank independence should continue to be upheld, including by continuing to prohibit monetary financing of the budget. Rebuilding foreign reserves while allowing for exchange rate flexibility is a necessity amid global uncertainty. Resolving non-performing loans, promoting sound credit growth, and addressing vulnerabilities in some small licensed finance companies will help safeguard financial stability.

The publication of the 2026 government action plan on governance reforms is welcome; effective implementation will help advance the anti-corruption agenda and support growth. It will be key to uphold the independence of Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption body (CIABOC), support the reliability of the beneficial ownership registry, and strengthen fiscal governance through sound legislation on public-private partnerships, state-owned enterprises, public procurement, and public asset management. Unlocking strong and durable growth for all Sri Lankans requires staying the course on reforms, including by sustaining trade liberalization efforts, accelerating digitalization initiatives, streamlining business regulations, and modernizing labor legislation to reduce rigidities. 

The IMF team held meetings with His Excellency President and Finance Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Honorable Labor Minister and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Prof. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Honorable Deputy Minister of Economic Development Nishantha Jayaweera, Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Secretary to the Treasury Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Senior Economic Advisor to the President Mr. Duminda Hulangamuwa, Chief Advisor to the President on Digital Economy Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, Governor of Southern Province Prof. Susiripala Manawadu, and other senior government and CBSL officials. The IMF team also met with parliamentarians, representatives from the private sector, civil society organizations, and development partners.

We would like to thank the authorities for the excellent collaboration during the mission, including during our visit to Galle in the Southern Province. We reaffirm our commitment to support Sri Lanka at this uncertain time. (Newswire)

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The United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) will review Sri Lanka’s first periodic report during its 29th session, held in Geneva today (26). 

Sri Lanka’s Delegation to the Review will be led by the Minister of Justice and National Integration, Harshana Nanayakkara, and will consist of senior officials from the Ministry of Justice and National Integration, Attorney-General’s Department, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Department of Police, Office on Missing Persons (OMP), Office for Reparations (OR), Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR), and the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva. 

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Review will take the form of a hybrid interactive dialogue between the Sri Lankan delegation and the CED Committee. 

Sri Lanka signed the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED) on 10 December 2015 and ratified the Convention on 25 May 2016. 

On 23 August 2023, Sri Lanka submitted its initial report under the Convention, outlining the measures taken to implement its obligations under the Convention. 

The forthcoming review will involve the consideration of Sri Lanka’s initial report by the Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED). 

In addition to Sri Lanka, Montenegro and Benin will also be reviewed by the Committee during its 29th session, which is underway until 02 October 2025. (Newswire)

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The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is set to convene on February 28, 2025, to review and approve the third assessment of Sri Lanka’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program.

A staff-level agreement on the Third Review was reached between the IMF staff and Sri Lankan authorities on November 23, 2024.

Upon approval by the IMF’s Executive Board, Sri Lanka will gain access to approximately USD 333 million in financing. (Newswire)

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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says there is a strong expectation that agreements with commercial creditors consistent with program parameters will be reached by the completion of Sri Lanka’s second review.

Addressing the IMF’s press briefing, Director of the Communications Department Julie Kozak said the next steps on the debt restructuring are to conclude the negotiations with external commercial creditors and to implement agreements in principle with official creditors.  

Julie Kozak further said that the domestic debt operations part of the debt restructuring, are largely completed.

“On December 12, 2023, the IMF’s Executive Board approved the first review of Sri Lanka’s program with the IMF.  It enabled a disbursement of US$337 million. On March 21, the IMF Staff and the Sri Lankan authorities reached a Staff-Level Agreement on economic policies to conclude the second review, as well as the 2024 Article IV Consultation.  

“Completion of the review by the Executive Board requires, first, the implementation of the prior actions that have been agreed and second, completion of what we call financing assurances review. That review would need to confirm that multilateral partners are continuing their financing contributions to Sri Lanka, and it will also assess progress with debt restructuring and will need to conclude that adequate progress is being made,” she said. 

Julie Kozak also pointed out that macroeconomic policy reforms in Sri Lanka are starting to bear fruit. 

“Commendable outcomes include rapid disinflation, robust reserve accumulation, and initial signs of economic growth while preserving the stability of the financial system.  Public finances have strengthened following substantial fiscal reforms, and it is critical that this reform momentum be continued,” she added.

Julie Kozak made the remarks in response to a question raised regarding an update on the debt restructuring process, including with China state creditors. (NewsWire)

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