(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) – Sri Lanka’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Report under the third cycle of the UPR, will be adopted at the 37th Session of the Council today (19).
Sri Lanka will be represented at this session by Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva Ravinatha Aryasinha.
Meanwhile, the Office of the High Commissioner will present a written submission assessing the progress of implementation of its recommendations and other relevant processes related to reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka at the current session.
Accordingly, the report will be presented on March 21, 2018. Sri Lanka will be represented by Foreign Affairs Minister Tilak Marapana and Special Assignment Minister Sarath Amunugama at this session.
The Sri Lankan special delegation headed by Minister Tilak Marapana, will also present the progress recorded by the government, including the operationalisation of the Office off Missing Persons, the enactment of the Enforced Disappearances Act, ongoing discussions on the draft counter-terrorism legislation to replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act and a Bill to set up the Reparations Office recently approved by the Cabinet.
Since the UPR process was introduced in 2007, there have been two complete UPR cycles where the human rights situations of all 193 UN member states were reviewed.
The current 3rd cycle of the UPR began in May 2017 and is ongoing. Sri Lanka’s review under the third cycle of the UPR was held during the 28th Session of the UPR Working Group that convened from 6-17 November 2017. On March 23, 2017 the Human Rights Council adopted the Resolution 34/1, with which it requested the Office of the High Commissioner to continue to, and to present a written update to the Human Rights Council at the present session on Sri Lanka’s progress.
The Universal Periodic Review is a unique process which involves a periodic review of the human rights records of all 193 UN member states once in every 5 years. It is a process that is based on peer review and equal treatment for all countries.
Sri Lanka’s special delegation also includes Senior Advisor to Finance and Media Minister Mano Tittawella, Deputy Solicitor General Nerin Pulle, Advisor to Prime Minister Prashanthi Mahindaratne, Additional Secretary of the Foreign Ministry A.L.A. Aziz and Director General UN Division, Mahishini Colonne.
