Address by Hon.

Vijitha Herath, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka

Mr. President,
Excellencies,

Mr. President, I wish to congratulate you on your election as the President of this
Council.

Mr. President,

At the Presidential and Parliamentary elections held a few months ago, the people of Sri
Lanka took a progressive decision to elect a new government with a strong mandate to
direct the country towards economic, social and political transformation. The results of
these elections held in November 2024 bears special significance on several fronts. It
reflected a collective and unified voice from people of all regions of the country – North,
South, East, West – and of all ethnicities and religions, in support of change and positive
transformation. The current Parliament which was formed after the election is one of the
most inclusive in our history, with a record number of women, representatives of
different communities including two women from the Malayaga community and a
visually impaired person being part of the Legislature of the country. This inclusivity
represents Sri Lanka‟s new path focused on upholding the rights of all its people
irrespective of differences based on gender, ethnicity or other grounds.

I would like to quote from the speech delivered by our President, Anura Kumara
Dissanayake, at the inauguration of the first session of the Tenth Parliament: “Elections
create a contract between the people and us. This bond is formed when we present our
policy statements and ideas, outlining how the country‟s future should be shaped. People
who place their trust in these ideas cast their votes for us. With their votes, the people
have fulfilled their part in this relationship by granting us the mandate to govern. Now, it
is our turn to fulfil our part by serving the people.”

Mr. President,

In 2022, Sri Lanka went through its deepest and most complex social, economic and
political crisis since independence. As you know, the impact of the economic crisis gave
rise to a humanitarian situation affecting all segments of the population, especially the
poorest and the most vulnerable segments of the society. The Government led by
President Anura Kumara Disanayake has emerged successful in stabilizing the economy,
and we are currently in the process of laying the foundation toward economic
transformation and greater economic democratization through fair distribution of
opportunities. We are acutely aware of the continuing impact of the economic challenges
on our people, particularly the most vulnerable, and the government continues to take
decisive steps to advance the economic and social rights of the people. In the National
Budget for 2025 presented to the Parliament last week, we have committed to take series
of measures to extend much needed relief and empowerment to the people including
increased allocation for social welfare and security. Significantly, the budget proposals
have also made historic allocations for health and education and provide for a series of
empowerment measures to vulnerable groups such as women, children including
orphaned, disabled or autistic children, estate sector population, students, persons with
disabilities and people living in conflict affected or under-developed areas of the country.

Special attention has been paid to improving the socio-economic conditions and address
critical needs such as resettlement, housing, compensation and infrastructure
development in the conflict-affected Northern and Eastern Provinces.

The Government has been actively working to develop infrastructure, support

With the launch of the “Clean Sri Lanka” project by H.E. the President on 01 January
2025, the Government has taken steps to introduce a new political culture and
commitment to moral and ethical governance. The „Clean Sri Lanka‟ programme is a
holistic undertaking aimed at nation-wide efforts of environmental, social, and
governance initiatives to bring about change, integration, and collaboration, in
environment, social and governance structures.

In line with the mandate given by the people, the Government will prioritize integrity
and addressing issues of mismanagement and corruption that were at the root of the
economic collapse, in taking our country towards sustainable development. Through
digital transformation of government structures at all levels, we hope to ensure that
inefficiency and corruption will be minimized.

Mr. President,

The Government led by President Anura Kumara Disanayaka is firmly and sincerely
committed to working towards a unified Sri Lanka that respects and celebrates the
diversity of its people with no division or discrimination based on race, religion, class
and caste. We will not leave room for a resurgence of divisive racism or religious
extremism in our country. The fundamental and longstanding principles of democracy
and freedom enshrined in our Constitution will be fully respected and safeguarded while
protecting the human rights of all citizens. Every citizen should feel free to practice their
religion, speak their language, and live according to their cultural values without fear or
discrimination. No one should feel that their beliefs, culture, or political affiliations will
make them targets of undue pressure or prejudice. Administrative, political and electoral
processes will be activated towards this end.
The Government has pledged to take tangible steps in the interest of further advancing
national unity and reconciliation. The President has proposed to declare a Sri Lanka
Day, in line with our vision for a reconciled Sri Lanka and commitment to bridging gaps
between communities. We will ensure that the domestic mechanisms and processes
established to address challenges emanating from the conflict will continue their work in
an independent and credible manner within the Constitutional framework. Domestic
institutions such as the Office on Missing Persons (OMP), Office for Reparations, and
Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) will be strengthened.

The contours of a truth and reconciliation framework, will be further discussed with the
broadest possible cross section of stakeholders, before operationalization to ensure a
process that has the trust of all Sri Lankans. Our aim is to make the domestic
mechanisms credible and sound within the constitutional framework. This will include
strengthening the work towards a truth and reconciliation commission empowered to
investigate acts of violence caused by racism and religious extremism that give rise to
tensions within Sri Lankan society.

A number of confidence building measures have also been taken in the last few months
towards reconciliation. In November 2024, a number of roads in the Northern Province
including the Palali- Achchuveli main road were opened for public use after several
decades. The President, during his visit to the North in January this year, made an open
invitation to Tamil-speaking youth to be part of Sri Lanka‟s police service. The 2025
budget includes significant allocations to upgrade the libraries throughout the country,
including the historical Jaffna library which is a symbol of education and enlightenment
for the Tamil community.

The Government is fully cognizant of the responsibility that accompanies the people‟s
mandate, including the people of the Northern and Eastern provinces, to fulfill their
aspirations for a just, fair and prosperous society for all our citizens. As we move
forward on our path towards national unity and reconciliation and inclusive
development, the continued encouragement and support of the international community
will be important.

Mr. President,

Sri Lanka is an active member of the United Nations since 1955. We are a State Party to
all the 09 core UN human rights instruments and engage with Treaty Bodies and regular
mechanisms of this Council on a regular basis. In the past few years, we have received
over 10 Special Procedures and engaged productively with Treaty Bodies, most recently
with the CEDAW Committee, ICCPR and the Universal Periodic Review process. We
are committed to genuine dialogue and cooperation in human rights through continuous
and constructive engagement.

Mr. President,

Conflict, inequality, and extreme climatic conditions are driving millions into poverty
daily, while countless men, women, and children continue to suffer or perish in wars
across the globe. Addressing these critical challenges is essential to protect human rights
and safeguard our planet for future generations.

Sri Lanka stands ready to support the Human Rights Council in addressing these
pressing global challenges in a balanced and holistic manner in line with its founding
principles of universality, impartiality, objectivity and non-selectivity. We believe that
States must be encouraged and empowered to address their challenges through robust
national human rights frameworks, supplemented by assistance upon request. .

As a nation on the trajectory towards people-led and people-centric national

Thank you.