Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Sumith Dassanayake, held a meeting with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on April 13 at Palais Wilson.
During the meeting, Ambassador Dassanayake briefed the High Commissioner on recent developments in Sri Lanka and discussed several matters of mutual interest, according to the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka in Geneva.
Ambassador Dassanayake reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s “continued and constructive engagement” with the United Nations Human Rights Council and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
In response, High Commissioner Türk appreciated the briefing and expressed continued support for Sri Lanka through the OHCHR, the mission said.
The meeting comes against the backdrop of ongoing international scrutiny of Sri Lanka’s human rights record, including accountability for wartime violations and the treatment of political detainees held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Civil society groups have called for the release of long-held Tamil political prisoners.
Sri Lanka’s current government has signalled a more cooperative posture toward the UNHRC process compared to its predecessors, though concrete legislative reforms remain under discussion.
