Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in coordination with the Sri Lanka Embassy in Addis Ababa, and with the assistance of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), has succeeded in working towards ensuring the safe return of twelve Sri Lankan migrant workers stranded in Somaliland as a result of a labour dispute.

Sri Lanka does not have diplomatic and consular presence in Somaliland. Therefore, the Ministry and the Sri Lanka Embassy in Addis Ababa worked with the IOM Office in Hargeisa which interceded to negotiate with the employer concerned in Somaliland to resolve the labour dispute, secure the release of the Sri Lankans, and make arrangements for their safe return.

The twelve Sri Lankans ​are scheduled to return home shortly.

The Government of Sri Lanka acknowledges with gratitude the role of the IOM in providing much needed assistance to the Government and people of Sri Lanka on this occasion as well as in the past in many similar situations.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges all Sri Lankans to be cautious in undertaking employment in high risk territories in which Sri Lanka does not have resident diplomatic and consular presence.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Colombo

28 May 2018

The new interface of the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that was launched last month, at http://www.mfa.gov.lk is now Trilingual, and available in Sinhala and Tamil languages, in addition to English.

The language of the interface may be selected on the top right corner of the website. Quick links are as follows:-

English site:                 http://www.mfa.gov.lk/

Sinhala Site:                http://www.mfa.gov.lk/sin/

Tamil site:                    http://www.mfa.gov.lk/tam/

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Colombo

28 May 2018

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sri Lanka has informed that heavy pre-monsoon rains in  Sri Lanka have caused the deaths of at least sixteen people and more than 130,000 people have been affected in 20 District as of 25^th May 2018. Four districts are on "red alert" for possible landslides.

Sri Lankan expatriates and well-wishers, who wish to contribute towards the flood relief work conducted by the National Disaster Relief Service Center, are kindly requested to send financial contributions as advised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sri Lanka, directly to:

Disaster Relief Account No: 7040171

Bank of Ceylon, Torrington Square

Ministry of Disaster Management

Sri Lanka High Commission, Ottawa

Consulate General, Toronto

Sri Lanka participated prominently in the High Level debate of the United Nations General Assembly to mark the 15^th Anniversary of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). The event was held on 23 May 2018 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and was well attended by ministers and other high officials of anti- corruption entities of member states. The Convention was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 31 October 2003, and entered into force upon ratification by thirty States on 14 December 2005. Today, a vast majority of United Nations Member States are parties (184 countries) to the Convention. Sri Lanka was one of the first countries to become a party to the Convention in March 2004.

Read more: Sri Lanka showcases its Fight Against Corruption at UN High Level Debate

On an invitation extended by President Hassan Rouhani, President Sirisena undertook a two-day State visit to Iran on 12 and 13 May 2018 that included official bilateral discussions between the delegations led by the two Presidents at the Saadabad Palace in Tehran, and a meeting with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Read more: President Maithripala Sirisena’s State Visit to Iran

The first public consultation of the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) can be considered as a success, says Chairman of the OMP, Saliya Peiris PC, as around 250 family members of missing persons attended the meeting in Mannar yesterday(12th).

Peiris told that the commission met with family members of those reported missing, along with civil society groups and members of media. “We engaged in a productive discussion with them where they raised the many concerns they had about the process,” he said, adding that the majority of the families appeared to be disheartened and frustrated but also hopeful they may receive the answers they are searching for.

Read more: OMP HOLDS CONSULTATIONS IN MANNAR

The Office on Missing Persons (OMP) is launching a series of regional-level consultations,  commencing in Mannar on Saturday, 12th May 2018. The consultations are a vital step in the process to operationalise the functions of the OMP in its search for missing and disappeared persons.

Consultations will be held with the families of missing and disappeared persons, activists, professionals and organisations working on the issue. In the coming weeks, the OMP will visit Matara, Trincomalee, Mulaitivu, Kandy, Kilinochchi, Jaffna, Batticaloa and Ampara in a first phase of visits. The purpose of these meetings will be to share the OMP’s organisational plan and strategies, as they currently stand, in order to hear public views and incorporate suggestions on measures and processes. The plans thus far attempt to build on the lessons learned and recommendations from previous commissions and the Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms process.

The OMP understands the urgency and frustration of the families and individuals who have been searching for their loved ones over a number of years, but respectfully requests their patience to ensure vital processes are put in place in order to ensure an effective response and to avoid ad hoc measures. These consultations mark the start of the outreach process of the OMP and are a positive indication that the search for missing and disappeared persons is underway

Source.https:www.news.lk/news/business/item/20491-omp-consultations-commences-in-mannar-tomorrow