Panel discussion on the role of policy coherence for Sustainable Development

A Study conducted by the Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA) Sri Lanka and the SEI - Stockholm Environment Institute highlights that “the responsibility for implementing any of the sectoral agendas and the linked Climate Change and SDG ambitions are scattered across various ministries and regulatory agencies diluting responsibility for decisions made and requires a range of vertical and horizontal collaborations”. The study further highlights that ‘the current institutional structure in Sri Lanka restricts the achievement of sectoral agendas, the NDCs, the Paris Agreement and Agenda 2030. Thus, achieving all three domains simultaneously must be aligned with 3I’s (Institutions, Ideas, Interest) as well as the policy content and their implementation process.” (CEPA, 2023)

CEPA hosted a workshop on 24th May to disseminate the findings of the study and to familiarize government, civil society and private sector stakeholders on the SDG Synergies tool used to evaluate competing policy actions. The event also featured a panel discussion on the role of policy coherence in transitioning towards sustainable agriculture, the key synergies and trade-offs in Sri Lanka’s efforts to transition towards sustainable agriculture and the outcome of sustainable agriculture policies on reducing inequalities.

Joining the Panel discussion, the Director General of the Sustainable Development Council Chamindry Saparamadu highlighted examples of Sri Lanka’s efforts to maximize synergies among different sectoral Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as through climate smart-agriculture practices and the recently launched Climate Prosperity Plan. She also noted that in view of the fragmented institutional landscape and deficiencies in institutional capacities, more efforts are needed to ensure strengthened institutional coordination and collaboration to achieve policy coherence for sustainable development.

The other panelists for the session included Dr.Wijayasiri Weerakoon, Former Director General, the Department of Agriculture Sri Lanka and Ms. Voshitha Wijenayaka, Executive Director of SLYCANTrust. The Panel discussion was moderated by Dr.Herath Gunathilaka, Executive Director of the CEPA.