LIRNEasia together with the South Centre hosted an expert forum on Policy Options for Digital Taxation in South and Southeast Asia on 19 September 2023. The event was a closed-door event, attended by over 110 tax officials, with participants registered from Global South 40 countries. The event, based on research conducted jointly by LIRNEasia and the South Centre, looked to provide a forum for the organizers and participants to share their experiences and weigh relative merits of different policy options for providing new taxing rights to capture revenues of large technology multinationals in local tax nets. The policy options included (i) domestic measures such as digital services taxes and withholding taxes (ii) OECD/G20’s Amount A Multilateral Convention and (iii) Article 12B of the UN Model Tax Convention.LA SC Digital Tax Forum_Panel 2_Implementation considerations. 
LIRNEasia together with the South Centre hosted an expert forum on Policy Options for Digital Taxation in South and Southeast Asia on 19 September 2023. The event was a closed-door event, attended by over 110 tax officials, with participants registered from Global South 40 countries. The event, based on research conducted jointly by LIRNEasia and the South Centre, looked to provide a forum for the organizers and participants to share their experiences and weigh relative merits of different policy options for providing new taxing rights to capture revenues of large technology multinationals in local tax nets. The policy options included (i) domestic measures such as digital services taxes and withholding taxes (ii) OECD/G20’s Amount A Multilateral Convention and (iii) Article 12B of the UN Model Tax Convention.LA SC Digital Tax Forum_Panel 2_Implementation considerations.
This working paper explores the effect of gender on the likelihood of internet access and the likelihood of possessing digital skills capabilities among Indians and Sri Lankans, based on nationally representative survey data from 2021.
The technological advancements of the recent decades, including the expansion of the gig economy have given rise to increasing numbers of opportunities for flexible work for both men and women across the globe. Opportunities range from ridesharing to online freelancing to running home-based businesses with the help of social media and logistics platforms. The growth in opportunities for digital work have expanded considerably after the advent of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Flexible work arrangements – such as those offered by the gig economy—have long been argued as an enabler of women’s increased and sustained participation in the labour market. This is particularly pertinent for countries like Sri Lanka, which have tussled with low female labour force participation (LFP) rates over the years.
We know from our previous qualitative work that women see online work and the flexibility it entails as a way to earn their own income while balancing childcare and other domestic responsibilities. However, many barriers and challenges remain to women’s participation in the online workplace, including gender gaps in internet connectivity and digital skills, as well as constraining social norms. To better understand women’s engagement with the ecosystem of digitally enabled work, between 2020 and 2023 we conducted further qualitative research in collaboration with the Centre for Policy Research, India, the Indian Institute for Human Settlements and World Resources Institute, India, and. The research aimed to assess the ecosystem within which women are engaging with digital work in India and Sri Lanka and the kind of impact that online platforms can create for women’s economic empowerment in order to inform updated labour market regulation and business practices. The final project report can be found below. 
LIRNEasia Chair, Rohan Samarajiva and Senior Research Fellow, Sujata Gamage recently published an article in the Journal of Information Policy entitled Forming Policy Intellectuals in the Asia Pacific and Africa: Communication Policy Research South, 2006–2018. Read the full article here.
We are inviting proposals from potential bidders to conduct a qualitative study on Information Disorder in Sri Lanka.
LIRNEasia's Research Fellow, Dilshan Fernando, along with CEO Helani Galpaya, Senior Research Manager Gayani Hurulle and Catherine Mobley of Clemson University, recently published a paper on disability and place of living. 
LIRNEasia Chair, Rohan Samarajiva delivered the keynote address on Day 1 of ICA Manipal Regional Hub 2023, organised by the Manipal Institute of Communication, titled: Inauthenticity of content in internet regulation: Who decides and how? 
Senior research manager, Gayani Hurulle spoke to the market research industry on LIRNEasia's experience in conducting impactful public policy research at a seminar organised to commemorate International Market Research Day. 
LIRNEasia CEO Helani Galpaya frames the discussions at the UN’s ongoing official consultations leading to the development of the Global Digital Compact, along with Vint Cerf and Tripti Sinha. 
Can ChatGPT do the job of a qualitative researcher? Isuru Samaratunga tested out ChatGPT's ability to carry out qualitative data analysis. Here's what he learnt. 
Helani Galpaya spoke on the information disorder at the panel discussion titled “Democracy in the Digital Age: How Canada Advances Internet Freedom for All," organised by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and the International Development Research Center (IDRC).
LIRNEasia conducted a study on digital platform use across six countries in South and Southeast Asia. The working paper provides insights on popular platform types, drivers of and barriers to adoption, and the impact of COVID-19.
CEO Helani Galpaya was one of the participants at the Asia regional consultation on the UN Global Digital Compact (GDC) 
Helani Galpaya took part in a panel at the 67th UN Commission on the Status of Women, titled Innovation for Women and Equality. 
Helani Galpaya is part of global set of experts who were asked to sit on the Expert Group for the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67).