Speaker of the Parliament (Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne and Member of Parliament Rishad Bathiudeen participated in the 153rd Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly held in Arusha, Tanzania, from October 5 to 9. During the summit, the Sri Lankan delegation highlighted the nation’s progressive strides in democratic governance, human rights and resilient public health systems.
Addressing the main session held under the theme “Strengthening good governance and empowering communities through participation, trust and opportunities for all,” Dr.Wickramaratne emphasized that public trust and inclusive opportunities form the cornerstone of sustainable democracy.
Highlighting Sri Lanka’s unique democratic milestones, the Speaker noted that the current 10th Parliament marks a historic turning point, with 22 female parliamentarians representing 9.8% of the total seats including two MPs representing the up-country (Malaiyagam) community. Furthermore, he recalled that an MP with disabilities is representing Parliament for the first time, who was recently honoured with the “2026 Distinguished New Parliamentarian” award by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
He also elaborated on how specialized oversight committees such as the Caucus for Women Parliamentarians, the Caucus for Persons with Disabilities, the Committee on Public Finance, the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA), and the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) ensure fairness, transparency and public accountability. Recent open parliament initiatives, such as broadcasting debates with sign language translation and opening committee proceedings to media and civil society, were also emphasized as key steps in bridging the gap between citizens and public representatives.
Additionally, the Sri Lanka delegation received special recognition at a side event organized by the IPU African Geopolitical Group themed “From Commitment to Results: African Parliamentary Action for Advancing RMNCAH (Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Chil and Adolescent Health) by 2030,” which appreciated Dr. Wickramaratne’s professional medical background and its value to parliamentary leadership.
On the sidelines of the summit, the delegation met with World Health Organization (WHO) representatives, holding a special discussion with Ludy Suryantoro, Head of Multi-sectoral Engagement for Health Security. The talks focused on strengthening national health security and advancing the Universal Health Preparedness Review. The delegation underscored Parliament’s critical role in providing legislative backing for preparedness reforms, approving and safeguarding budgets, ensuring rigorous oversight, strengthening multi-sectoral governance and guaranteeing equity and human rights for vulnerable groups.
The assembly also deliberated on crucial global challenges, including parliamentary strategies for inclusive social development, preserving peace in an era of military artificial intelligence, building a peaceful future through parliamentary diplomacy, strengthening maritime security in conflict situations, protecting critical infrastructure, and reviewing the UN Charter and conflict prevention mechanisms. Workshops were further held on strengthening counter terrorism responses using the IPU framework, supervising natural resource extraction industries, managing inter-generational digital information overload, addressing mental health challenges, promoting ethical artificial intelligence that protects child rights, supplying healthy food amidst changing climate conditions, and strengthening enforcement mechanisms for international humanitarian and human rights law.
The Sri Lankan parliamentary delegation’s participation reaffirmed the country’s active and ongoing commitment to international parliamentary dialogue and cooperation concerning democratic governance, inclusivity, public accountability, health security and sustainable development. (Newswire)
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