13 February 2013
Colombo, Sri Lanka, 10 - 13 February 2013
Sri Lanka is a founding and committed member of the
modern Commonwealth. Today, I conclude what has been a productive visit to the
country.
I was received by the President, His Excellency
Mahinda Rajapaksa. I held discussions with the Speaker of Parliament, Hon
Chamal Rajapaksa; the Leader of the Opposition, Hon Ranil Wickremesinghe; the
Hon Minister of External Affairs, Professor G L Peiris; the Monitoring Member
of Parliament for the Ministry of External Affairs, Hon Sajin de Vass
Gunawardena and the Secretary to the President, Mr Lalith Weeratunga.
Others I met included the Elections Commissioner, Mr
Mahinda Deshapriya; the Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Sri
Lanka, Justice Priyantha R P Perera as well as other members of the Commission.
I also met the community of resident High Commissioners in Colombo, and in the
limited time available, my delegation and I held discussions with a number of
others, including representatives of political, civil society and professional
groups.
These meetings were informative and valuable. They
afforded the opportunity to explore how the Commonwealth’s rich network of
shared resources, experiences and opportunities can be of greater assistance to
Sri Lanka.
2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
My visit provided an opportunity to be briefed on the
preparations for the 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM),
scheduled to be hosted by Sri Lanka in November, as decided by Commonwealth
Heads of Government in 2009 and confirmed in 2011. Preparations for CHOGM 2013
are impressive and on track.
The Commonwealth adds value globally in its work in
democracy, development and diversity. We can expect the 2013 Heads of
Government Meeting to have a focus on inclusive growth and development
opportunities.
Commonwealth Partnership with Sri Lanka
The goal of the Commonwealth’s partnership is to
support Sri Lanka’s national efforts and plans to provide access for all its
citizens to a life of opportunity and dignity.
The Commonwealth remains committed to supporting Sri
Lanka in continuing to strengthen its culture of democracy, pluralism, human
rights, sustainable development, the rule of law, and other fundamental
Commonwealth values and principles.
The Commonwealth agreed to pursue a partnership with
Sri Lanka in various priority areas that were jointly identified during my last
visit in September 2012. There has been marked progress in a number of these
areas in the last six months, as outlined in the annex to this statement.
As a result of consultations during this visit, we
have agreed to enhance collaboration in the areas outlined below:
Electoral institutions and processes
It is a Commonwealth norm to have independent election
commissions in our member states. Successive Commonwealth Observer Groups
present over the years at the time of elections in Sri Lanka have recommended
this. While the Government works towards that objective, we shall cooperate to
strengthen practically the independence and effectiveness of the existing
Office of the Commissioner of Elections, including through technical assistance
and other support available through the Commonwealth Electoral Network.
We welcome the implementation of recommendations made
earlier by Commonwealth election observers, notably the development of codes of
conduct for political parties and the media, as well as the implementation of
measures against the misuse of state resources during election campaigns. We
shall explore with the Commissioner of Elections how these advances can be
further strengthened practically ahead of the next elections.
We welcome the declared intention for elections to be
held in the Northern Province in September 2013. We also welcome confirmation
we received that preparatory arrangements for those elections are in place.
Human Rights Commission
We have agreed to contribute to enhancing the
independence and authority of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL).
We welcome the progress by the HRCHL to regain ‘A’ status in the International
Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Commissions. This will enable
the HRCSL to assume a leadership role during Sri Lanka’s term as Commonwealth
Chair-in-Office.
In practical terms, we have agreed to explore options
to provide technical support to the HRCSL in the following areas:
- Training and education of Commission staff
- Expanding training of police personnel on human rights obligations
- Enhancing the training programme for journalists on human rights reporting
- Bolstering capacity to be involved in national reconciliation processes
- Strengthening capacity to investigate human rights abuses
Reconciliation
A Commonwealth expert round-table on reconciliation
will take place in London in May 2013. It will involve the sharing of
experiences of the challenges faced and lessons learned during post-conflict
reconciliation in Commonwealth member states. Sri Lanka will participate in
this forum and share its experiences of reconstruction, rehabilitation and
reconciliation.
Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learned and Reconciliation
Commission (LLRC) Report is a pivotal national plan for moving forward, to
achieve a multi-ethnic nation at peace with itself. We urge the report’s
expeditious implementation, which the Commonwealth remains committed to
supporting. We shall continue to explore opportunities where the Commonwealth
can offer its collective wisdom and experience, and will aim to agree by
mid-2013 on areas where the Commonwealth can support Sri Lanka’s implementation
of the LLRC Report’s recommendations.
Judiciary
The recent removal of the Chief Justice generated
widespread national debate and differences of view. In this context, I have
emphasised the importance of the Commonwealth's Latimer House Principles on the
separation of powers, the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. We
welcome the recognition of the need for change, to ensure that any such process
in future is free of contention and does not call into question Sri Lanka’s
commitment to the independence of the judiciary and separation of powers.
The Commonwealth will make available an expert
analysis of the practice in Commonwealth countries relating to the appointment
and removal of senior judicial figures, and the independence of the judiciary,
for Sri Lanka to draw upon in determining legislative and other changes
required. Commonwealth assistance would also be available with any related
legislative drafting required to ensure that changes can be introduced to
Parliament and implemented in a timely manner.
Independent media
All Commonwealth member governments are committed in
the 2009 Affirmation of Commonwealth Values and Principles and the 2012 Charter
of the Commonwealth to freedom of expression and the free flow of information,
including through a free and responsible media. To these ends, we have agreed
to support the independence, effectiveness and professional standards of Sri
Lankan journalists through the following:
- Provision of technical expertise for Sri Lanka to undertake an institutional assessment of the Sri Lankan Press Council, with the aim of identifying measurable steps for strengthening the Council’s independence and effectiveness, and to provide support for implementing these steps;
- Provision of technical assistance options in support of the Sri Lankan Press Institute, including to help raise the quality of reporting on issues relating to democracy and development.
Contact:
Mr Richard Uku
Spokesperson / Director of Communications and Public Affairs
Commonwealth Secretariat
Mobile Tel (Sri Lanka): +94 (0) 78 888 0384 [until 19:30 hrs Colombo time 13 Feb)
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7747 6380
Mobile Tel: +44 (0) 7711 187784
Email: r.uku@commonwealth.int
Website: www.thecommonwealth.org
Spokesperson / Director of Communications and Public Affairs
Commonwealth Secretariat
Mobile Tel (Sri Lanka): +94 (0) 78 888 0384 [until 19:30 hrs Colombo time 13 Feb)
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7747 6380
Mobile Tel: +44 (0) 7711 187784
Email: r.uku@commonwealth.int
Website: www.thecommonwealth.org
Annex
Commonwealth Partnership with Sri Lanka
Six-month progress report since the
Secretary-General’s September 2012 visit
Public Service Strengthening
Two retreats for 70 senior public servants in
leadership positions have been held since September. These were aimed at
strengthening leadership capacity, coordination between ministries, and
improving service delivery in support of the Mahinda Chintana Economic
Development Plan. Another three retreats for 120 senior public servants will be
completed by the end of March 2013.
The Commonwealth has worked with the Sri Lankan
Institute of Development Administration (SLDA) to formulate a human resource
policy framework for the public service aimed at promoting political
impartiality in recruitment and promotion practices. A Commonwealth expert is
to be appointed at the SLDA as a human resource policy adviser is to be
appointed.
A Commonwealth expert has also been appointed
and deployed in the newly established Policy and Strategic Planning Unit at the
Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat.
Youth Entrepreneurship
A grassroots project to harness the
potential of youth enterprise, entitled, ‘Harnessing Aptitude and Potential
Entrepreneurial Skills in Youth’ (HAPPEY) is being explored in partnership with
the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development and the Sri Lankan
Federation of Chambers of Commerce. A project scoping mission to Sri Lanka by
the Commonwealth took place in January 2013. Various roles to be played by all
the partners are to be settled, and discussions are being advanced to identify
the source of a core revolving fund required to generate start-up financing for
project proposals.
The Commonwealth has agreed to provide training
and other support to build the long-term capacity of institutions in Sri
Lanka that are focussed on youth enterprise. The Commonwealth will provide
‘train-the-trainer’ support on youth entrepreneurship and enterprise
development to the Ministry of Youth and Skills Development, which is
recruiting 120 trainers over the next few months.
The Commonwealth has agreed to deliver the Asia
Conference on Financial Inclusion and Literacy focusing on youth in March
2013, in partnership with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. This will be
reinforced with a one day financial literacy ‘training-of-trainers’ programme
in March.
The Commonwealth has also supported the
establishment and start-up activities of the Commonwealth Asia Alliance of
Young Entrepreneurs (CAAYE). Sri Lanka is represented by the Federation of
Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FICCSL) and sent a 2 delegation of young entrepreneurs to CAAYE’s inaugural summit
in Mumbai in December 2012. A second summit to take place in Colombo is being
advanced with the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
Strengthening of Local
Government
The Commonwealth Secretariat
and the Commonwealth Local Government Forum conducted a joint mission to Sri
Lanka in late 2012. This joint mission has led to the completion of the design
of a major new project to be launched in June 2013, in partnership with the Sri
Lankan Ministry of Local Government and Provincial Councils, the Federation of
Sri Lankan Local Authorities, and the Sri Lanka Institute of Local Government.
The focus of this project is to reinforce the value and impact of local
democracy and government, including in support of the 13th amendment to the
Constitution of Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka’s National Policy on Local Government.
Peace and Reconciliation
Sports for
Peace and Development: based
on an expression of interest from the Government of Sri Lanka, the
Commonwealth is providing technical support in partnership with the Sri Lankan
Ministry of Sports to develop a National Action Plan to utilise the power of
sport to strengthen development and peace-building efforts, especially in the
northern and eastern provinces of the country. A Commonwealth Sports Adviser
visited Sri Lanka in December 2012 for a project scoping mission. Pilot
projects on the ground are expected to be launched during 2013.
