Projects

ILO projects and activities in Sri Lanka are listed below, according to the year of commencement.

2025

  1. Promoting Advancement of Vulnerable Persons and Enterprises (PAVE) Project

    1 December 2022 - 30 November 2025

    The PAVE project builds on the ILO’s project Local Empowerment through Economic Development (LEED+) Project, which was supported by the Government of Norway and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The LEED+ project successfully used market systems to promote sustainable improvements in livelihoods.

2024

  1. Safety + Health for All Plantation Workers in South Asia: Sri Lanka Component

    1 December 2020 - 31 December 2024

    The ILO/Japan project on “Safety + Health for All Plantation Workers in South Asia” is being implemented in the framework of the ILO’s Flagship programme “Safety + Health for All”. The project will contribute towards improving the safety and health of workers in plantation sector in South Asia (India, Nepal, Sri Lanka). This page describes the Sri Lanka component under the project.

  2. Promoting Decent Work through Good Governance, Protection and Empowerment of Migrant Workers

    18 January 2021 - 31 August 2024

    Supported by the Government of Switzerland, this programme aims at ensuring an effective implementation of the Sri Lanka National Labour Migration Policy- Phase IV while promoting decent work through good governance, protection and empowerment of migrant workers.

  3. Healthy socio-economic recovery of apparel sector Micro and Small Enterprises in severely COVID-19 impacted Gampaha District of Sri Lanka

    1 January 2022 - 30 June 2024

    This project aims at contributing towards the healthy socio-economic recovery of apparel sector Micro and Small Enterprises. It is implemented in Gampaha district that has been hardest hit by the pandemic both in terms of the health crisis and socio-economically. Gampaha hosts a large number of MSEs in the informal economy struggling to survive and build back from COVID19.

  4. Development of social insurance-based unemployment insurance scheme in Sri Lanka

    1 December 2022 - 31 March 2024

    This project aims to providing assistance through effective and efficient unemployment protection mechanisms including unemployment insurance through effective tripartite social dialogue

  5. South Asia Leadership in Entrepreneurship (SALE – Sri Lanka)

    1 October 2021 - 31 March 2024

    This sub-regional project promotes entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka and Nepal as a desirable career option for youth, with the support of the US Department of State.

2023

  1. Safety + Health for All Workers in South Asia

    1 December 2020 - 31 December 2023

  2. Local Empowerment through Economic Development and Reconciliation (LEED+) Project

    4 May 2018 - 31 December 2023

    The LEED+ project builds on successes of the Local Empowerment through Economic Development (LEED) Project. From 2011-2018, LEED has helped to reduce poverty, create sustainable jobs and build the peace in northern Sri Lanka.

  3. Supporting the Socio-economic Reintegration of Sri Lankan Migrant Workers Repatriated due to the COVID-19 Outbreak (IOM-ILO collaboration)

    1 April 2021 - 31 July 2023

    This project aims at contributing towards sustainable reintegration of Sri Lankan migrant workers. The project has been designed with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in alignment with the National COVID-19 Response Plan for Migrant Workers, and the Sub Policy and National Action Plan on Return and Reintegration of Migrant Workers (2015). It is also broadly linked to the UN Advisory Note on COVID-19 Socioeconomic Response (July 2020) and the UN Sustainable Development Framework (under Human Security and Socioeconomic Resilience)

2022

  1. Healthy Socio-economic Recovery of Informal Sector Micro and Small Enterprises in Severely COVID-19 Impacted Districts of Sri Lanka

    1 January - 31 December 2022

  2. Skilling Sri Lankan Migrant Workers affected by COVID-19 for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship

    1 September 2020 - 30 November 2022

    This project aims to increase capacity of the ILO constituents to identify current skills mismatches and anticipate future skills needs; to design and deliver innovative, flexible and inclusive learning options encompassing work-based learning and quality apprenticeships; and to create an enabling environment for entrepreneurship and sustainable enterprises, with a focus on enhancing the employability of returned and aspirant migrant workers

  3. Building Sri Lanka’s national and enterprise-level dispute resolution system back better during COVID-19

    1 August 2020 - 31 October 2022

    This project aims to strengthening social dialogue and labour relations, laws, processes and institutions and to improve international standards

  4. Towards Fair and Sustainable Global Supply Chains: Promoting Decent Work for Invisible Workers in South Asia – Sri Lanka

    1 December 2019 - 30 June 2022

    The ILO/Japan project “Towards fair and sustainable global supply chains: Promoting formalization and decent work for invisible workers in South Asia” (Sustainable Global Supply Chains in South Asia) aims to contribute to the development of ethical and sustainable global supply chains.

  5. Towards Fair and Sustainable Global Supply Chains: Promoting Decent Work for Invisible Workers in South Asia”

    1 July 2017 - 31 March 2022

    The ILO/Japan project “Towards fair and sustainable global supply chains: Promoting formalization and decent work for invisible workers in South Asia” (Sustainable Global Supply Chains in South Asia) aims to contribute to the development of ethical and sustainable global supply chains.

2021

  1. Working for Health in Sri Lanka Project: Phase II

    1 April 2020 - 31 December 2021

    Working for Health is a joint collaboration between the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO)

  2. Decent Work for Domestic Workers in Sri Lanka

    1 June 2020 - 31 December 2021

    Supported by the Government of Sweden, this programme aims to promote decent work for domestic workers through advocacy to bring domestic workers within the ambit of national labour laws, promote ratification of C189, and to strengthen organisation of domestic workers

  3. Improving Synergies between Social Protection and Public Finance Management

    1 October 2020 - 31 December 2021

    This project aims to support the Government of Sri Lanka in extending social protection coverage to workers, both men and women, in the tourism sector.

  4. Support to Resettlement and Reconciliation through the United Nations Joint Programme for Peace (SURAR)

    25 September 2019 - 30 September 2021

    This project aims to providing timely and strategically focused assistance towards two peacebuilding priorities that tackle core grievances of the minority Tamil community. The interventions contribute towards securing and sustaining the peacebuilding process, through helping to build trust and confidence amongst the Tamil community in the direction in which the country is moving

  5. Measurement, Awareness Raising, and Policy Engagement (MAP16) Project

    1 March 2020 - 30 September 2021

    The project contributes to the promotion of decent work in Sri Lanka by supporting prevention measures and addressing child labour and its worst forms through new, fit for purpose, targeted approaches.

  6. EQUIP : Equipping Sri Lanka to Counter Trafficking in Persons

    1 September 2017 - 31 July 2021

    The Project aims to reduce human trafficking in Sri Lanka by intervening via a three pronged approach (3P’s) : Prevention, Protection and Prosecution through conducting research and awareness to inform regulations and practice, ensuring fair and ethical business recruitment practices are adopted, improving protection services for identified victims and prosecuting and investigating offenders.