Strengthening local governance in Sri Lanka

A regional meeting to discuss good governance strategies to strengthen local government in Sri Lanka was held in Kandy on 7-8 November. Over 40 local government representatives, including ministers and mayors from various provinces participated in the discussion. The Chief Minister of Central province Sarath Ekanayake highlighted the importance of adhering to good governance principles, because of local authorities being closest to the community. The Strengthening local governance for national development, Sri Lanka project is an initiative of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF), Commonwealth Secretariat, Federation of Sri Lankan Local Government Associations (FSLGA) and the Ministry of Local Government and Provincial Coun cils, and will focus on building local government capacity to support enhanced participatory development, inter-community reconciliation and meet the needs of communities across Sri Lanka.