The EU-SDDP is assisting the country in making a transition from post-conflict assistance to reconstruction and development. This is done by supporting selected districts in North and East and some villages in neighbouring districts.

The activities are closely linked to three focus areas, namely:

• Support to poverty reduction, provision of basic infrastructure and services for vulnerable populations;
• Support to local economic development; and
• Strengthening of the local governance.

The beneficiaries of this initiative include vulnerable communities in the districts of Batticaloa, Mannar, Vavuniya and Ampara, including some villages in Monaragala, Anuradhapura and Puttalam. Further, the EU-SDDP directly assists the decentralised and devolved government institutions, civil society organisations, producer groups, regional and local businesses, training institutions, chambers of commerce and potential investors.

For the first time in the history of the EU in Sri Lanka, the programme has brought together five United Nations agencies and IFC, a member of the World Bank Group. These partners are the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and IFC.

The programme is built on the experience of successful EU-funded programmes like the EUAmpara Partnership, the EU Assistance to Conflict-Affected People (EU-ACAP), the EU Socio-Economic Measures (EU-SEM), the Aid to Uprooted People housing programmes (AUP) and the EU humanitarian and assistance programmes. The EU-SDDP is unique compared to previous programmes as it places a stronger emphasis on the transfer of responsibility for decisionmaking and implementation from international bodies to local authorities.

The implementation of the EU-SDDP is through multi annual and annual work plans which are prepared in close consultation with the district authorities.