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The United Nations in Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the Government of Sri Lanka, has launched a joint project – ‘Social Dialogue for Peace and Crisis Prevention’ in Sri Lanka aimed at enhancing social dialogue and supporting inclusive economic recovery across the nation. This initiative, a collaborative effort by UNESCO, UNFPA, and ILO, comes as Sri Lanka faces significant economic challenges.

The project seeks to establish and reinforce dialogue and dispute resolution mechanisms at both national and local levels. Key objectives include enhancing public sector dispute resolution capacity, promoting workplace cooperation, supporting collective bargaining, and improving grievance handling to create safe and harmonious workplaces. The initiative will empower local communities to participate in policymaking, ensuring that women, young people, and informal economy workers influence district and national policies.

Anura Dissanayake, Secretary to the Prime Minister, highlighted the importance of using digital public infrastructure alongside traditional conflict resolution methods. He emphasized that a wide-ranging social dialogue at various levels is crucial for implementing economic and social recovery efforts and strengthening peace and cohesion in Sri Lanka.

The project, funded with a budget of USD 2 million by the UN Sri Lanka SDG Fund, is supported by Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, the UN Secretary General’s Peacebuilding Fund, and the Joint SDG Fund. Nearly half of the budget is dedicated to promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment, with a strong emphasis on women's leadership and participation in workplace forums. This project aims to amplify the voices of Sri Lanka’s vulnerable groups, ensuring their equitable participation in the country’s recovery, and thereby strengthening peace and cohesion.