Mahinda Rajapakse Prime Minister and Finance Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

Ministers, Secretaries,

Distinguished Invitees, Ladies and Gentlemen

It is with great pleasure that I issue this message today as we celebrate the World Accreditation Day under the theme Accreditation: Supporting the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Sri Lanka, along with the other member states of the United Nations endorsed the Sustainable Development Agenda (the Sustainable Development Goals) in 2015, a Universal Call to Action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.

Sri Lanka has begun its transformation towards a sustainable and resilient society. Even with the challenges imposed by the global Covid-19 pandemic, the government is taking concrete efforts to make progress towards achieving the SDGs. Our National Policy Framework ‘Vistas of Prosperity and Splendor’ is a comprehensive and holistic development framework that has effectively integrated our global SDG commitments. The three core areas; economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection are all addressed in the National Policy Framework and all institutions must work towards achieving these objectives.

Our government has established an inter-ministerial Steering Committee under my leadership to steer and guide the SDG implementation process in Sri Lanka by mobilizing various government agencies around SDGs whilst ensuring and facilitating integrated approaches towards implementation. The Sustainable Development Council, as the mandated agency to provide technical guidance and coordination support towards this process, has been empowered to perform its core functions.

Considering the strategic importance of SDGs for the upliftment of mankind and the environment, the two global organizations namely, the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and the International Accreditation Forum

(IAF) have declared the theme of this year’s Accreditation Day as Accreditation: supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”. I am happy to note that the Sustainable Development Council is entering into a partnership with the Sri Lanka Accreditation Board (SLAB), the apex organization in the Quality Infrastructure of Sri Lanka to assist the government and private sector organizations meet sustainability standards. The SLAB supports internationally recognized conformity assessment services through testing, inspection and certification.

We must all work towards ensuring that the accreditation process delivers the best quality and environmentally sound outputs benefitting both the people and the planet. I am confident that this partnership will assist the relevant public and private agencies to work towards this objective which in turn will accelerate Sri Lanka’s journey towards sustainable development.

I wish both organizations all success in their future endeavors.

Mahinda Rajapakse
Prime Minister and Finance Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

09th June 2021