The United Nations in Sri Lanka has provided US$125 million in development aid to Sri Lankans in 2008.

Speaking after the first joint Annual Review of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator, Neil Buhne, said that the funds represented the collective efforts of the UN to support the Sri Lankan government over 5 years in its efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals and the National Development Plan.

"This process integrates the UN’s development activities so that we can best help as a team of partners to bring the fruits of development to all Sri Lankans," said Buhne. "This includes providing advice on developing sound economic and social policies, building capacity of local institutions to effectively implement policies and working with communities promoting sustainable livelihoods."

In his opening speech, Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Sumith Abeysinghe, underscored the importance of the UN system support, stating that the combined work through the UNDAF has increased the efficiency of programme implementation.

"I believe that progress has been seen in the areas of cooperation in 2008 as a result of the fruitful collaboration between government partners at local level with various UN agencies," said Abeysinghe. He noted that the objectives in the UNDAF and Mahinda Chinthana have been synchronized while expressing the government’s ownership and commitment to the implementation of the UNDAF in the years to come.

While representing the over-arching framework for the work of the UN, the UNDAF, which has been operational since 2008, is also a “living document” with continued reviews and monitoring of programmes to ensure that UN’s support is fully aligned to country’s development priorities.