Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery including its causes and consequences Tomoya Obokata, who is currently undertaking a visit to Sri Lanka at the invitation of the Government of Sri Lanka, called on Foreign Minister Prof. G.L Peiris on Friday, 26 November, at the Foreign Ministry.

The mandate of the Special Rapporteur includes but is not limited to issues such as: traditional slavery, debt bondage, forced labour, children in slavery and slavery-like conditions, sexual slavery, forced and early marriages as well as issues faced by migrant workers and foreign labour.

During the meeting, the Foreign Minister discussed Sri Lanka’s progress related to labour welfare and the constructive steps taken by the government to eradicate child labour. He also elaborated on steps taken to bring our labour laws in line with international standards in a number of areas including child labour, migrant workers and debt bondage. The Special Rapporteur commended Sri Lanka on the progress made with regard to making Sri Lanka a ‘child labour free zone'.

The Foreign Minister outlined that Sri Lanka was conscious of protecting vulnerable labour groups and emphasized that Sri Lanka will continue to cooperate with the United Nations system. He stated that visits by Special Procedures Mandate Holders have been helpful in enhancing understanding of the specificities of Sri Lanka’s experiences in related fields as well as in improving domestic processes to be in line with our international commitments.

Foreign Ministry

Colombo

01  December, 2021

(https://mfa.gov.lk/un-fm-sl/)

Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha has called on migrant workers as well as students and parents, to carefully calibrate the effect repatriation at this time could have on their jobs and education, before making decisions to seek to return to Sri Lanka, availing of the limited flights being operated by the Government for those facing compelling circumstances. He made this observation yesterday (16 May 2020) in an appearance on the ‘News at 9’ on Sri Lanka Rupavahini, where he noted that over 38,000 Sri Lankans are seeking to be repatriated, of that nearly 28,000 migrant workers. The comments made by the Secretary are below;

Priority right now of the Government following the Cabinet Paper presented by my Minister Dinesh Gunawardena two weeks ago, is to bring back the migrant worker category which needs to come, but more so in some cases have to come. Because they have gone out of status and are illegal, they also as a result of being illegal do not have access to the health facilities and anything else in those countries. There are many who have been thrown out of jobs. They are pretty much destitute. Thereafter we can consider those who want to come, but who have jobs and who simply want to come on holiday to avoid any Corona vulnerability.

To mark the annual “Orange the World: 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” international campaign, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Colombo Tanja Gonggrijp handed over the “Orange the World” banner to Foreign Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris at the Foreign Ministry on 26 November, 2021.

Accepting the banner, Minister Prof. G.L Peiris reiterated Sri Lanka’s commitment to combat Gender-Based Violence and briefed on initiatives taken by the Government of Sri Lanka in this area. He recognized that prevention and addressing sexual violence is an integral part of achieving Sustainable Goal 5 on Achieving Gender Equality and Empowering All Women and Girls. He remarked that the government’s national policy framework Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour has given priority to gender equality, empowerment of women and minimization of gender-based violence.

The “Orange the World: 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” international campaign was initiated in 1991. Every year the event commences on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and ends on December 10, Human Rights Day.  The colour orange is meant to represent a brighter future and a world free from violence against women and girls.

According to the United Nations, globally, an estimated 736 million women—almost one in three—have been subjected to intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their lifetime. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the risk factors of violence against women.

State Minister of Women and Child Development Piyal Nishantha de Silva (M.P.) and Secretary to the State Ministry Kumari Jayasekara were also associated with the event.

Foreign Ministry

Colombo

27 November, 2021

(https://mfa.gov.lk/orange-the-world-fm/)