Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

Emergency lifted

The state of emergency declared on March 06, 2018 according to the instructions given by President Maithripala Sirisena has been lifted. President Sirisena after returning to the country following a successful state visit to Japan signed the Gazette notification to lift the state of emergency with immediate effect from midnight yesterday.

Restriction to access Social Media removed on the instructions of President

President Maithripala Sirisena has given instructions to the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka to remove the temporary restriction to access the social media site Facebook with immediate effect.

President Maithripala Sirisena to visit Pakistan from 22-24 March 2018

At the invitation of the President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain, President Maithripala Sirisena will undertake a three day official visit to Pakistan from 22 to 24 March 2018, to attend the National Day of Pakistan.

Press interview by the Chairman of the Office of Missing Persons (OMP)

Press interview titled "OMP is for reconciliation, not to satisfy anyone else", given by Mr. Saliya Pieris P.C., Chairman of the Office of Missing Persons (OMP), which was published in the Daily Mirror of 20 March 2018.

Please click here for the Press interview .....

Statement by Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana at 37th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, 21 March 2018

HRC-FM

Statement in Sinhala (PDF)

Statement in Tamil (PDF)

Statement by

Hon. Tilak Marapana, PC., MP

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka

Agenda item 2

37^th Session of the UN Human Rights Council

Geneva, 21 March 2018

Mr. President,

Madam Deputy High Commissioner,

Distinguished Delegates,

It is an honour for me to be here today at the 37^th Session of the UN Human Rights Council representing the Government of Sri Lanka.

I am joined today by my Cabinet colleagues, the Minister of Special Assignments, Hon. (Dr) Sarath Amunugama, and the Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government, Hon. Faiszer Musthapha. My colleagues and I represent the two main political parties that form the coalition government. We are here before this Council together in unison, to speak with one voice, demonstrating the Government’s firm commitment to the advancement of reconciliation, the rule of law, good governance, human rights, justice, equality, and dignity for all our citizens, based on the 100 Day Programme on which President Maithripala Sirisena was elected in January 2015.