A meeting between the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka, Ms. Azusa Kubota, and Hon. Speaker (Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne was held recently (20) at the Parliament premises. Chief of Staff and Deputy Secretary General of Parliament Chaminda Kularatne also participated in this occasion.
During this occasion, the Human Development Report for the year 2025, published under the UNDP, was formally presented to the Hon. Speaker.
The central theme of this year’s Human Development Report is “A matter of Choice, people and possibilities in the age of AI,” and the report explores how AI should be utilized in an appropriate manner.
Ms. Azusa Kubota stated that the primary objective of this Human Development Report is to demonstrate how artificial intelligence can be used to harness the power of human imagination in shaping a country’s economy and society for the sake of national development.
The discussion also covered future activities of the Parliamentary Development Plan and the implementation of an island-wide awareness programme for school students with the aim of educating the public about parliamentary traditions and the role of Parliament.
Furthermore, Ms. Azusa Kubota informed the Hon. Speaker that the United Nations Development Programme, in collaboration with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), intends to conduct awareness programmes for Members of Parliament and the parliamentary staff in the future. In response, Hon. Speaker (Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne stated that, in line with the current political transformation, several measures are already being taken against bribery and corruption.
The Hon. Speaker (Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne further noted that the Parliament intends to establish a Parliamentary Institute for Studies and Training in the future to cater to Members of Parliament, as well as Provincial Council and Local Government representatives.
