Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

Sri Lanka retained its Tier 2 ranking in the US State Department Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report for the second consecutive year. The 2018 Report which was released on 28 June 2018 can be accessed online at https://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/

The annual Trafficking in Persons Report is prepared as per the US Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000, as amended, which has authorized the establishment of the US State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons and the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons to assist in the coordination of anti-trafficking efforts. The annual Report which assesses all countries is used by the US Government to engage foreign governments in dialogues to advance anti-trafficking reforms, combat trafficking and target resources on prevention, protection and prosecution programmes. Each country is placed onto one of three tiers based on the extent of the efforts by respective governments to comply with the “minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking” found in Section 108 of the TVPA.

From 2013 to 2016, Sri Lanka was placed in the Tier 2 Watch List for 4 successive years and upgraded to Tier 2 in 2017 in view of the proactive measures taken by the relevant agencies of government to combat trafficking. Classification of countries in this annual report of the State Department affects US assistance for countries with governments of countries on Tier 3 being subject to certain restrictions on US assistance as well as assistance from multilateral development banks.

The TIP report 2018 states that the Government of Sri Lanka demonstrated increasing efforts compared to the previous reporting period and therefore, Sri Lanka has been retained in Tier 2.

Sri Lanka recognizes and acknowledges the magnitude of the problem of human trafficking worldwide, undermining universal values and posing a threat to national security by encouraging and enriching transnational criminal as well as terrorist networks. Sri Lanka remains committed to working with the US and other bilateral partners as well as international organizations to combat this scourge locally and internationally.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Colombo

4 July 2018

Text in Sinhala (PDF)

Text in Tamil  (PDF)

Major General W.B.D.P. Fernando, Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army speaking at the first ever United Nations High-Level Conference of Heads of Counter Terrorism Agencies of Member States at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 29 June 2018 noted that as a country that had experienced first-hand the suffering of its people due to terrorism, Sri Lanka understands that a key pillar of counter-terrorism is prevention and addressing the root causes of conflict.

The historic Conference under the auspices of the United Nations was convened by Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General of the newly established UN Office of Counter-Terrorism and engaged all thirty eight counter terrorism entities of the United Nations System. One of the aims of the Conference was to provide an opportunity to forge partnerships and increase cooperation and sharing of information among states.

Sri Lanka spoke in the Fourth Session entitled strengthening the role and capacity of the United Nations to support member states to implement the United Nations Global Counter Terrorism Strategy.

Sri Lanka’s delegation included Major General W.B.D.P. Fernando RWP RSP USP psc, Chief of Staff, Sri Lanka Army (Head of Delegation) Mr. W. K. Nalaka de Silva, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Head of the Terrorist Investigation Range, Captain (C) P.A.S. Rathugamage, Commanding Officer SLNS 'Vijaya', Sri Lanka Navy, Squadron Leader K.A.I.A. Kaluthanthriarachchi, Sri Lanka Air Force and Mrs. Sonali Samarasinghe, Minister, Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations.

Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations

New York

29 June 2018

Minister   of Foreign Affairs Tilak Marapana, during  his  tour  in the African region to  expand  and  reinvigorate bilateral  relations, paid a  courtesy call on Ugandan  President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

The discussions focused on the longstanding relations between the two countries with diplomatic relations being established in 1972.

The Ugandan  President  thanked the  Government of Sri Lanka  for the timely intervention in upgrading the  Masulita  Vocational  and Technical Training  Centre  with a view  to  providing employment  to  youth. He also thanked the Government of Sri Lanka for the cooperation extended in providing training for  officers of the Ugandan  Army, Navy  and the  Airforce.  He requested for further assistance in this area.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tilak Marapana concluded a four- day visit to Kenya on Wednesday,  27 June 2018.  The  Minister's visit  to Kenya  was part  of  Sri Lanka’s  broarder policy to expand relations  in the  African region. In 2016, Sri Lanka  established a Permanent Mission  to  the African Union  in Addis Ababa.

During the visit, Foreign Minister Marapana held a meeting with  Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade of  Kenya  Ambassador Dr. Monica Juma,  where  discussions focused on further strengthening relations between the two countries.

The Foreign Minister  appreciated  Kenya’s   support  and that of the region to  Sri Lanka’s  candidature at the recently concluded elections for the UNESCO  Intergovernmental Committee  for the  Safeguarding  of  Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) for the term 2018-2022,  where Sri Lanka obtained 122 votes. The Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade endorsed the need to collaborate closely   as regional groupings to achieve common positions that benefit and strengthen the global footprint of the South.