The Third ‘Dialogue with Diplomats’ – January 2024

Pathfinder Foundation (PF) recently hosted its third ‘Dialogue with Diplomats’ in Colombo, focusing on the critical theme of the ‘Role of the Donor Community in Promoting Good Governance and Curbing Corruption in Sri Lanka’. With Sri Lanka's declining position in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), the discussion underscored corruption as a pervasive issue across society, undermining trust in governance.

The panel featured Dr. Nishan de Mel, Executive Director of Verité Research, as the Lead Presenter, along with distinguished discussants, including Nadishani Perera of Transparency International Sri Lanka, Subhashini Abeysinghe, Verité Research, and Bernard Goonetilleke, Chairman, Pathfinder Foundation.

Attended by representatives from Colombo-based diplomatic missions, international donor agencies, government officials, think tanks, NGOs, and the private sector, the Dialogue urged the donor community to prioritize anti-corruption measures and accountability in aid disbursement. Recommendations included focusing on rewarding outcomes, supporting non-governmental institutions for transparency, and utilizing governance diagnostics for aid prioritization.

The event emphasized the need for a shift towards transparent processes, as corruption persists across political parties and the bureaucracy, hampering development efforts. Overall, the Dialogue provided key insights for the donor community to enhance their support for combating corruption and fostering good governance in Sri Lanka.