Sri Lanka formally launched its 2026-2028 national implementation plan for the United Nations Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) at a ceremony in Colombo on Monday, moving a framework the Cabinet approved in August into its delivery phase.
The plan was unveiled at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel before state ministries and departments, members of the national GCM implementation committee, UN agencies, members of the UN Network on Migration in Sri Lanka, civil society organisations, academic and research representatives, private sector partners and representatives of Sri Lankans working abroad, state broadcaster ITN reported. The first copy of the plan was presented to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath, who gave the keynote address. The UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka also spoke, and a panel discussion was held under the theme “From promise to action”.
Five stated priorities
According to ITN, the plan prioritises expanding safe and regular migration opportunities, strengthening migration governance and lawful recruitment channels, protecting the rights and welfare of overseas workers and their families, building a workforce skilled for the global labour market, and maximising the development contribution of remittances and the diaspora.
Herath said the launch was a step towards converting the commitments Sri Lanka made under the compact into an organised, practical process. “The main focus of this programme of ours is on the people,” he said, adding that the aim was to widen safe and regular migration routes while protecting people from exploitation and violence.
He described the launch as the beginning of implementation rather than the end of the process, saying the plan’s success could only be measured by the actions that follow and the change they make to people’s lives.
Background
Sri Lanka endorsed the Global Compact in December 2018, but implementation stalled during the 2022 economic crisis. The implementation committee was reorganised in 2025 and drew up the refreshed 2026-2028 roadmap after stakeholder consultations. The Cabinet approved that plan in early August, linking it to both remittance growth and tighter controls on human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
ITN reported that Sri Lanka was named a GCM Champion Country in April 2025 in recognition of its migration governance. No other Sri Lankan newsroom had reported Monday’s launch at the time of writing.
