(LANKAPUVATH | COLOMBO) – Sri Lanka’s Minister of Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms addressing the Ministerial Session of UNESCO Global Forum against the Racial Discrimination held in Mexico City, Mexico recently (Nov 28) urged the world nations to play a key role against racial discrimination by setting examples.
Explaining how the discriminatory racial political culture which was inculcated during the colonial era destroyed the communal harmony, the Justice Minister said Sri Lanka is taking every possible measures against racial discrimination amidst many obstacles such as COVID 19 pandemic and political instability that prevailed during the recent past.
“Our Constitution is empowered to safeguard the equality among all persons irrespective of the ethnicity, language, religion, culture or gender and the Supreme Court has the unfettered jurisdiction to remedy any injustice caused to any person on such grounds. Recently passed 21st Amendment to the Constitution also makes provisions to strengthen the independence of the public service and thereby to avert any kind of discrimination to the general public,” the Minister asserted.
He insisted that all nations shall get together to eliminate any kind of discrimination and the big and wealthy nations shall pay a vibrant role by setting examples by themselves and assisting the nations in need.
The global Forum was organized by UNESCO with the assistance of Canada and Ford Foundation. It was highlighted at the meeting by many representatives as to how such discriminations ingrained into their territories as a result of colonial rulings and as to how multi-billion companies exploit the children and people in poor countries.
