The government has recently approved an additional Rs. 375 million to the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) to expedite investigations into the complaints of involuntary disappearacnes.
Minister of Justice and National Integration Harshana Nanayakkara said so at the consideration of Sri Lanka’s Initial Report under the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, in Geneva.
The Foreign Ministry quoted Nanayakkara as having said: “The Office draws on technical support from academia, the ICRC, and other partners. Its victim-centred approach to public engagement and decision-making has been met with positive public response, underscoring its role as a trusted mechanism.”
Minister Nanayakkara led the Sri Lanka delegation to the Geneva meet.
In his opening remarks, Minister Nanayakkara reiterated Sri Lanka’s commitment to safeguarding and protecting the human rights of all citizens, the steadfast ongoing work of the OMP, Office for Reparations (OR), and Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR), and the robust actions being taken by the national authorities in this regard.
Sri Lanka signed the Convention on Enforced Disappearances on 10 December, 2015, and ratified it on 25th May, 2016. Engaging with this Committee is not merely a reporting obligation for us, but an opportunity to strengthen national frameworks, uphold accountability and ensure that the rights and dignity of all persons are safeguarded in line with international standards.
Following Sri Lanka’s ratification of the Convention on Enforced Disappearance, no cases of enforced disappearance have been reported in Sri Lanka during the reporting period of 2017 to 2023. It is important to underscore that, even prior to the formulation of this Convention in 2006, its entry into force in 2010, and Sri Lanka’s ratification in 2016, Sri Lanka had a long-standing practice of investigating complaints of disappearances.
The Minister said that the Government has initiated action to introduce new counter terrorism legislation with a view to repealing the current Prevention of Terrorism Act. The Cabinet appointed Committee in this regard is formulating proposals and continuing its deliberations towards finalising a draft counter terrorism legislation that aligns with international standards and best practices. The Government expects to gazette the new counter terrorism legislation very soon, repealing the current Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). The ongoing work in this regard is at an advanced state.