“Untangling Data Governance – Sri Lanka’s Way Forward” was held on 13 November 2024 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The event formed part of the Harnessing Data for Democratic Development in South and Southeast Asia (D4D Asia) project, with funding support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), a Crown corporation of the Government of Canada.

The first session featured Pranesh Prakash, LIRNEasia’s Policy Fellow and Co-Principal Investigator, who provided an overview of regional research on data governance in South and Southeast Asia. He described the systematic, comparative approach taken in the project to study data governance across countries.

Ashwini Natesan, LIRNEasia’s Research Fellow, spoke about the data governance landscape in Sri Lanka, highlighting the numerous existing laws and policies that both increase and restrict access to data, and noting that many policies remain in draft form, while those already adopted often operate in silos.

A panel of regional experts, moderated by Helani Galpaya, CEO of LIRNEasia, then examined Sri Lanka’s evolving data governance landscape and regional practices—focusing on opportunities, blind spots, and the growing need for policies that support both innovation and democratic accountability. Speakers included Pranesh Prakash (Country Researcher – India), Ashwini Natesan (Country Researcher – Sri Lanka), Aslam Hayat (Country Researcher – Pakistan), Semanta Dahal (Country Researcher – Nepal), and Ryan Sakti (Country Researcher – Indonesia).

The discussion centred on several interlinked themes: open data and proactive transparency, data sovereignty and localization pressures, AI and data protection, and copyright constraints in the digital environment.

A major portion of the discussion focused on open data, with speakers noting that Sri Lanka continues to struggle with making government datasets easily accessible and regularly updated. Although platforms such as data.gov.lk exist, many datasets remain outdated, and proactive disclosure continues to fall short of expectations. Similar challenges were seen across the region, where Right to Information laws often play a greater role than dedicated open data systems in enabling access.

The panel then turned to the increasingly prominent issue of data sovereignty, which has gained traction across several Asian countries. Participants outlined common justifications—national security, regulatory oversight, and the prospect of attracting investment through local data centres. However, they also highlighted practical challenges, including high infrastructure costs, limited cybersecurity capacity, and the reality that data breaches can occur regardless of physical location. These concerns raised further questions about whether localization genuinely improves protection or simply introduces new risks.

Audience questions added further depth to the discussion. Participants asked about incentives for data sharing, the risks of publishing procurement or asset-related information, and the interaction between sector-specific rules and broader data protection laws. Others pointed to international examples—from Switzerland’s strong culture of data discipline to Estonia’s “data embassy” model—as potential lessons for Sri Lanka.

Overall, the panel underscored that building a strong data governance framework is not only about drafting laws. It also requires capable institutions, interoperable systems, reliable infrastructure, and a public-sector culture that values openness, accountability, and evidence-based policymaking. As Sri Lanka continues to shape its digital governance agenda, these insights offer a meaningful roadmap for developing a more resilient and inclusive data ecosystem.

For those interested, the Sri Lanka Country Report is available here.

The full event video coverage can be viewed here.

The research presentations shared at the forum are available below for your reference.

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