From the 24th to the 28th of March 2025, the Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly Ms. Alexandria Faure co-facilitated a Benchmarking Assessment of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA). Representing the CPA was the Good Governance Project Manager Mr. Fraser McIntosh. The benchmarking delegation provided technical assistance to the Parliament of Sri Lanka using the benchmarks for democratic legislatures. To date, 38 Commonwealth legislatures, including Seychelles have undertaken self-assessments against the CPA Benchmarks which has proven to be quite impactful and valuable.
The delegation met with the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Hon. Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, the Deputy Speaker Hon. Dr. Rizvie Salih, the Leader of the House Hon. Bimal Rathnayake, Secretary-General of the Parliament Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera, Deputy Secretary General Mr. Chaminda Kularatne, and the Assistant Secretary General Mr. Hansa Abeyrathne. This served to kick-start the beginning of the various meetings discussing pertinent matters relating to the development of the Parliament, and the governmental reforms which are already underway.
Speaking about the CPA Benchmarks self-assessment, the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, Hon. Dr Jagath Wickramaratne, MP, said: "The Parliament of Sri Lanka is pleased to undertake the CPA Benchmarks Assessment as part of our ongoing commitment to strengthening democratic governance. This exercise provides us with a valuable opportunity to reflect on our practices and ensure that our Parliamentary processes align with the highest international standards."
Benchmarking self-assessments allow Parliaments in different countries and political systems to rigorously scrutinize their practices and procedures and assists them in identifying areas where they can become more effective performing legislatures. The process of benchmarking also fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing between parliaments, allowing them to learn from each other's successes and challenges. Following the benchmarking exercise, Ms. Faure remarked that she is “truly grateful to the CPA for the opportunity to co-facilitate this benchmarking exercise of the Parliament of Sri Lanka and found the experience to have been incredibly enriching. Providing the technical assistance was an honour and what I have learnt from parliamentary colleagues in Sri Lanka has enhanced my own knowledge in this field and provided me with the scope to make more impactful contributions to our own National Assembly.”
The delegation also met with Opposition Members of Parliament, parliamentary staff, the Attorney General’s office, legal draftsman’s department, the Ministry of Justice, government officials, the Election Commission, the Right to Information Commission, civil society organisations, and Media Houses to gain a wider perspective on the engagement of Parliament and its role in transparent governance. The assessment focused on democratic and transparent governance, financial oversight, the independence of commissions, engagement with civil society, pre and post legislative scrutiny, rules of procedure and other pertinent topics relating to parliamentary good governance. Following the benchmarking visit, a Report by Ms Faure and Mr Mcintosh will be formulated with Recommendations. The Report will play an important role in developing the effectiveness of the Parliament of Sri Lanka and contribute to its implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Editor’s Note: The CPA’s Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislatures provide a framework for excellence in Commonwealth parliamentary and legislative practices and were updated to include the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG16 on strong and sustainable democratic institutions. The initiative is funded and supported with funding from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
