Sri Lanka today launched the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) National Implementation Plan 2026–2028 at the Cinnamon Grand Colombo.
The event brought together relevant government ministries and departments, members of the National GCM Implementation Committee, UN agencies and members of the UN Network on Migration in Sri Lanka, civil society organizations, academia, private sector stakeholders and migrant representatives.
The programme included opening and introductory remarks, remarks by the UN Resident Coordinator, and the keynote address by Hon. Vijitha Herath, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism. The first copy of the National GCM Implementation Plan 2026–2028 was ceremonially handed over to the Minister. The programme also included a presentation on the key highlights and strategic priorities of the Plan and a panel discussion on “From Commitment to Action: Advancing the Implementation of the GCM National Implementation Plan.”
Sri Lanka was designated a GCM Champion Country in April 2025, reflecting its commitment to responsible migration governance. The new Plan was developed to ensure the continued relevance and responsiveness of Sri Lanka’s migration governance in light of evolving migration dynamics in the aftermath of the 2022 economic crisis, as well as emerging regional and global migration trends.
The Plan focuses on expanding safe and regular migration opportunities, strengthening migration governance and ethical recruitment, protecting the rights and wellbeing of migrant workers and their families, developing a skilled workforce for quality global employment, and maximizing the contribution of migration, including remittances, skills and diaspora engagement, to national development.
In his keynote address, Minister Herath said the launch is an important step in turning Sri Lanka’s commitments under the GCM into practical and coordinated action. He said “at the centre of our approach are our people” and stressed the need to expand safe and regular migration opportunities while protecting people from exploitation and abuse.
The Minister also emphasized that the launch is “not the end of the process, but the beginning of implementation”, and that the success of the Plan will be measured by the actions taken and the difference made in people’s lives.
