UNDP Regional Director concludes visit to the North Central and Northern Provinces

Haoliang Xu, the visiting United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, Chair, United Nations Development Group Asia-Pacific and UNDP Assistant Administrator & Director, Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific has concluded his 2 day field visit to the North Central and Northern Provinces.

Earlier today, Mr. Xu met with the Chief Minister Northern Province – Justice C.V. Wigneswaran at his Office in Jaffna. At this meeting, Mr. Xu re-emphasized UN’s commitment to provide strategic policy and technical support to the Northern Provincial Council to enable it to deliver on its mandate by addressing local development priorities.  The meeting also provided an opportunity for Mr. Xu to be briefed on the political and development context in the Province, especially after his last meeting with the Chief Minister in February 2014.

Mr. Xu concluded his mission to the North with a visit to the Palm Producers Development Cooperative Society – Jaggery Processing Centre and the Thampaddy Rural Fishermen’s Society – Crab Processing Centre in Kayts, Jaffna.  These two producer organizations are supported by UNDP Sri Lanka under the Norway and New Zealand funded Northern Livelihood Development Project I and II respectively. Both Producer organizations have and will have a significant impact in the Kayts area with the Thampaddy Crab Processing Center expected to provide employment to approximately 80 women in the area whilst the Palm Producers Development Cooperative Society, which operates on a membership basis has shown an increased membership of over 50% from 170 in 2011 to 270 in 2013.  Her Excellency Grete Lochen Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives attended both events which are supported by the Royal Norwegian Government.

Tomorrow Mr. Xu will continue his visit back to Colombo where he will meet with Government officials and representatives over the next two days before he departs on the 10th April 2015.

Mr. Xu, is in Sri Lanka on a 6 day visit, where he is expected to meet and exchange views with high-level Government officials, development partners and the civil society on learning more about the emerging development needs and expectations of Sri Lanka in a new political environment whilst ascertaining the future direction of UNDP support along with other members of the UN family, in particular strengthening UNDP’s role as a key development partner in Sri Lanka.