UN Human Rights High Commissioner meets PM Harini

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, who arrived in the island yesterday (23) on an official visit has held discussions with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Prime Minister Amarasuriya welcomed the High Commissioner and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to working constructively with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the PMO stated.

She has noted that the recent political transition marks a significant shift in Sri Lanka’s political culture, rooted in a historic mandate received from all communities.

The Prime Minister outlined the Government’s focus on three key pillars: alleviating rural poverty, advancing digitalization, and pursuing legal and political reforms alongside the necessary social transformation and institutional changes. She reiterated the Government’s commitment to protecting and promoting the full spectrum of human rights, including social, educational, health, and economic rights, and emphasized that reconciliation remains a priority, supported by strengthening domestic mechanisms such as the Office for Missing Persons (OMP), the Office for Reparations (OR), and the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR).

Meanwhile, High Commissioner Volker Türk has expressed appreciation for Sri Lanka’s continued engagement and reaffirmed the importance of collaboration in advancing human rights, democratic governance, and national reconciliation.

The meeting was attended by Marc-André Franche, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka, and other officials from the United Nations. The Sri Lankan delegation included Pradeep Saputhanthri, Secretary to the Prime Minister; Aruni Ranaraja, Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment & Tourism; and senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.