For decades, corruption has been one of the greatest obstacles to Sri Lanka’s progress. The global development community, through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, recognizes that accountable, transparent, and inclusive institutions are the backbone of just and peaceful societies. For Sri Lanka, the pursuit of SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, became particularly significant during the country’s recent economic crisis.
Recognizing this, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka, with funding support from the Government of Japan, partnered with the Government of Sri Lanka to strengthen the country’s anti-corruption framework. This collaboration led to the support to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) to develop the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP) 2025–2029, following the successful implementation of the previous 2020–2024 plan. A diagnostic review of the earlier NACAP was undertaken to evaluate progress and extract lessons for the new cycle.
The evolving social and political landscape, particularly following the “aragalaya” the youth agitation demanding good governance and the subsequent transition of government had a catalytic effect and impetus for transparency, integrity, and justice. In this environment, the development of the new NACAP became not merely a policy exercise, but a nationwide movement towards building a culture of accountability and integrity.
Internal Affairs Units
As part of this momentum, the Government of Sri Lanka, through Presidential Secretariat Circular No. PS/SB/Circular/2/2025 issued on 18 February 2025, directed Ministries, Departments, Provincial and District Secretariats to establish Internal Affairs Units (IAUs). These Units are mandated to identify corruption vulnerabilities through corruption risk assessments and to come up with corruption mitigation action plans, and promote ethical governance within their institutions. IAU’s also provide a focal point for the public to lodge complaints regarding corruption related matters. Procedures have been evolved for the respective complaints to be investigated following a transparent procedure. The establishment of IAUs represents a key step in operationalizing NACAP commitments at the institutional level.
The IAUs were conceived as internal guardians of integrity in every government institution. Their mission is fourfold:
- Prevent corruption before it takes root: IAUs began conducting corruption risk assessments across key departments, identifying procedural bottlenecks and recommending internal control measures to mitigate corruption risks.
- Safeguard whistleblowers and give citizens a voice: In several ministries and provincial councils, confidential hotlines and complaint portals have been launched to allow safe reporting of misconduct.
- Ensure transparency in decisions and access to information: IAUs are tasked with ensuring compliance with Right to Information (RTI) requirements and enhancing proactive disclosure of institutional data.
- Promote ethical governance and protect the dignity of public officials: Regular briefings promoting standards of ethical behavior, updated codes of conduct, and integrity awareness sessions have been initiated in collaboration with the CIABOC.
Within weeks of the circular’s issuance, ministries, selected départements, provincial administrations, and district secretariats appointed senior officers to lead their IAUs. Where resources were limited, officers took on these duties alongside their existing responsibilities, united by a shared mission to strengthen public trust.
IAUs have begun reviewing existing procedures to identify high-risk areas and introduce corruption-prevention mechanisms. Many institutions have also introduced Corruption Risk Assessment frameworks and standardized complaint-handling mechanisms, ensuring confidentiality and responsiveness.
Quarterly reviews, chaired by heads of institutions, are held to assess the performance of IAUs and ensure accountability. Parallel to this, digital reporting platforms are being piloted to enable real-time complaint tracking and analytics across the public sector.
These initiatives collectively aim to rebuild confidence between citizens and state institutions, reinforcing the government’s pledge to deliver services with integrity.
Sri Lanka’s Internal Affairs Units draw inspiration from international experiences, notably the Republic of Korea’s Anti-Corruption Initiative Assessment (AIA), a model that demonstrates the power of systematic evaluation and continuous learning. Through UNDP’s facilitation, Sri Lanka adapted key elements of this model, ensuring that IAUs are proactive, data-driven, and results-oriented.
The establishment of IAUs marks a critical milestone in fulfilling Sri Lanka’s constitutional duty under Article 156, aligning with its obligations under the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and advancing the global vision of SDG 16.
As the IAU network expands, it signals a broader national transformation, from crisis to reform, from mistrust to accountability, and from promises to tangible action.
If strengthened with independence, resources, and continuous capacity building, IAUs will remain at the forefront of Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption drive and the guardians of citizens’ trust in its march towards achieving the objectives of the governments flagship project ‘ Clean Sri Lanka’.
