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United News of India

Civil society organisations urge Sri Lankan govt to enact critical reforms

Colombo, May 15 (UNI) Civil society groups such as the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), together with its affiliates the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) and the Free Media Movement (FMM), has urged the new government to heed civil society calls to bring the country forward on critical reforms. Issuing a statement, the IFJ raised concerns over the Sri Lankan government's apparent reluctance to engage with civil society, warning that the administration under newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is falling short of its promises on transparency and inclusive governance, News Wire reports. Despite repeated efforts by civil society organisations, the government has so far remained unresponsive to calls for renewed commitment to the Open Government Partnership (OGP)—a global initiative aimed at promoting transparency, empowering citizens, combating corruption and improving governance. Critics argue that this silence undermines public trust and raises questions about the administration's willingness to foster meaningful citizen participation in decision-making. Under the mandate of the OGP, members are required to create a two-year National Action Plan through a multi-stakeholder process to implement governance reforms in collaboration with civil society. Organisations such as Transparency International Sri Lanka and the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, as co-conveners of the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) involved in Sri Lanka's OGP process, urged the government to recommit to the OGP or potentially be expelled from the multilateral initiative. In a statement, the groups said the continued silence underscored a broader pattern of weak consultative governance and emphasised that restoring trust in public institutions required a firm commitment to open, inclusive and participatory governance that reflects the voices and needs of the people. The current frustration from Sri Lankan civil society groups, while targeted at the new administration, is also underpinned by a long pattern of neglect by previous governments. From 2021 to 2023, successive governments failed to submit a National Action Plan under the OGP, prompting the global OGP Steering Committee to designate Sri Lanka as 'inactive' in a resolution passed on May 10, 2024. To restore its active status, Sri Lanka was due to submit a new Action Plan by May 10, 2025, but the current administration has yet to comply. The FMM said: 'The government's inaction – while retaining draconian legislation – exposes its indifference to constitutional freedoms. FMM demands immediate recommitment to OGP with civil society to repeal anti-media laws; embed press freedom in the National Action Plan and guarantee transparent policymaking. Media freedom cannot survive without institutional checks. The OGP is our last firewall against authoritarian regression.' The SLWJA said: 'We believe it's crucial to re-engage the current Sri Lankan government in a participatory governance model that includes civil society organisations. In the past, the Sri Lankan government has had positive experiences working with such civil organisations to implement 'Good Governance.' Reviving this approach could lead to more effective and accountable governance.' The IFJ said: 'Press freedom can only thrive within a functioning democracy, and the continued neglect of participatory governance and civil society engagement raises serious questions about the administration's commitment to legislative reform. It is urgent that press freedom is front and centre of such a discussion.' UNI ANV SS