Programme

08:30 – 09:00          REGISTRATION

09:00 – 10:00          INAUGURATION

09:00– 09:910        Lighting of the Traditional Oil Lamp / National Anthem

09:10 – 09:20          Welcome Address:                              Saman Kelegama, Executive Director,
                                                                                                     Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka

09:20 – 09:30         Introduction to the Seminar::              Subinay Nandy, UN Resident/Humanitarian
                                                                                                    Coordinator & UNDP Resident Representative, Sri Lanka
                                                                                                      

09:30 – 09:40         Welcome Message::                            Ajay Chhiber, UN Assistant Secretary General &
                                                                                                    Director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Asia &                                                                                                     Pacific [via Video Conferencing]
          
09:40 – 09:50         Address by Guest of Honour:            Hon. Muthu Sivalingam, Deputy Minister,
                                                                                                    Ministry of Economic Development

09:50 – 10:10         Address by the Chief Guest:              Hon. Dr. Sarath Amunugama,Senior Minister for                                                                                                     International Monetary Cooperation, Ministry of Finance & Planning

10:10–10:30          Tea/Coffee

10:30–12:00            Session I:                                              Regional Perspectives on Poverty  

                                   Chairperson:                                        Adnan Khan, Country Director,
                                                                                                   World Food Programme – Sri Lanka 

10:30 – 10:50           Keynote Regional Address
                                   Denison Jayasooria, Principal Research Fellow,
                                   Institute of Ethnic Studies, National University of Malaysia

10:50 – 11:10           Multi-dimensional Poverty in a Changing Climate (PDF Format 4.70MB)
                                   Anuradha Rajivan,Team Leader, Inclusive Growth & Poverty Reduction,
                                   UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Centre

11:10 – 11:30          Child Poverty & Equity in the Region  (PDF Format 904KB)
                                   Andrea Rossi,Regional Advisor, Social Policy Section
                                   UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia

11:30 – 12:00           Floor Discussion
                                  

12:00–13:00           SESSION II:                                        Poverty in Sri Lanka

                                  Chairperson:                                     W.D. Lakshman Chairman, IPS
                                                                                                       

12:00 – 12:15          Poverty Dimensions in Sri Lanka (PDF Format 1.38MB)
                                   Wimal Nanayakkara, Visiting Fellow, IPS

12:15 – 12:30          Poverty & Human Development (PDF Format 1.91MB)
                                  Nisha Arunatilake, Research Fellow, IPS

12:30 – 12:40          Food Security (PDF Format 8.07MB)
                                  By Azeb Asrat,
                                  WFP D/Country Director
                                  World Food Programme – Sri Lanka

12:40 – 13:00        Floor Discussion

13:00–14:00           LUNCH

14:00–15:00           SESSION III:                                          Policy Options for Eradicating Poverty – Vulnerable Groups

                                  Chairperson:                                       Reza Hossaini, Representative, UNICEF

                                  Panellists:                                           Health – Lal Panapitiya,  (PDF Format 1.04MB)
                                                                                                 Director – Medical Services,  Ministry of Health

                                                                                                 Social Protection Floors –Markus Ruck, (PDF Format 534KB)
                                                                                                 Social Security Specialist International Labour Organization (ILO), New Delhi

                                                                                                 Plantation Sector–Priyanthi Fernando  (PDF Format 467KB)
                                                                                                 Executive Director, Centre for Poverty  Analysis

                                                                                                 Rural Livelihoods– Nalani Hennayake,  (PDF Format 743KB)
                                                                                                 Senior Lecturer, Department of  Geography, University of Peradeniya
                                                                                                 [via Video Conferencing]

                                 Floor Discussion
 

15:00–16:00            SESSION IV:                                     Policy Options for Transforming Lagging Regions

                                   Chairperson:                                     Indrajit Coomaraswamy, Former Director - Economic Affairs,                                                                                                 Commonwealth Secretariat

                                  Panellists:                                           Finance – P.A. Kiriwandeniya, Chairman, (PDF Format 4.09MB)
                                                                                                SANASA Development Bank

                                                                                                Commerce – Anura Ekanayake, Immediate Past Chairman,                                                                                                 Ceylon Chamber of Commerce

                                                                                               Regional Development Planning – Nihal Somaweera, (PDF Format                                                                                                2.41MB)
                                                                                               Additional Secretary – Regional Development, Ministry of Economic                                                                                                Development

                                                                                               Infrastructure – B.M.S. Batagoda, Director General, Department of                                                                                                National Planning, Ministry of Finance & Planning

                                                                                               Special Concerns of War Effected Districts – N. Shanmugalingam,                                                                                                Professor of Sociology, Faculty of Arts, University of Jaffna [via Video                                                                                                Conferencing]

                                         Floor Discussion

16:00–16:10               Reflections

16:10                           Tea/Coffee

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