Harsha to lead Sri Lanka’s delegation to UN Human Rights periodic review

Nov 14, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s delegation to the universal periodic review (UPR) of UN Human Rights Council will be led by the Deputy Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs, Harsha de Silva.

The delegation will comprise of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Attorney-General’s Department, the President’s Office, and the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva. Sri Lanka's report under this review comes up for consideration by the OHCHR working group on UPR tomorrow, in Geneva and the report covers areas that were part of the recommendations accepted by Sri Lanka following the 2nd UPR in 2012. Foreign Ministry said the report was drafted, following wide consultations with all stakeholders including public consultations in Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Jaffna, and Kalmunai, online consultations and consultations by post.

Sri Lanka underwent its first UPR cycle in 2008 and the second in 2012. The review that will be conducted tomorrow will be Sri Lanka’s third. Along with Sri Lanka, Argentina, Benin, Czechia, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, Japan, Pakistan, Peru, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, Ukraine, and Zambia will also be reviewed under the UPR’s third cycle at the 28th Working Group, during the period 6-17 November. The universal periodic review was established by the General Assembly of the UN in 2006, as a process through which the human rights record of every UN member state is peer-reviewed.