Lanka advances DPI plans with UNDP

Sri Lanka is advancing its digital public infrastructure (DPI) agenda through discussions with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and international development partners on governance, investment and the next phase of the country’s digital transformation.

Government officials held discussions in Colombo with UN Assistant Secretary-General Kanni Wignaraja, UNDP Resident Representative Azusa Kubota and representatives of donor agencies on expanding the country’s digital infrastructure through DPI and securing financing for future projects from international financial institutions.

The Sri Lankan delegation included Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne, Chief Advisor to the President on Digital Economy Hans Wijayasuriya and Secretary to the Ministry of Digital Economy Waruna Sri Dhanapala.

Officials also reviewed progress on OneRegistry, the national civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) modernisation initiative launched earlier this year with the support of the UNDP and World Health Organization.

The initiative is aimed at digitising the country’s paper-based civil registration system and creating a foundation for interoperable digital public services and the broader digital identity strategy.

Wignaraja reaffirmed the UNDP’s commitment to supporting Sri Lanka’s digital transformation through the UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies.

She described digital public infrastructure as a key enabler of more efficient and inclusive public services.

The discussions also focused on strengthening the governance, financing and institutional partnerships required to implement major digital initiatives, including OneRegistry and the planned Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity (SL-UDI) system.