Sri Lanka: UNODC brings together community groups, government officials, criminal justice practitioners to promote fundamental rights   

  

Colombo, Jaffna and Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka/24 September 2022: Under the UN Secretary General’s Peace Building Fund (PBF), UNODC is currently implementing a project on ‘Promoting Access to Justice and Protecting the Rights Space to Foster Peace in Sri Lanka’.

In this context, a series of interventions were conducted in September 2022 in Sri Lanka, aimed at strengthening stakeholder awareness and capacities to strengthen the justice and fundamental rights framework.

A capacity-building program for senior police officers was hosted to address issues related to violation of rights. The training was designed to enhance understanding of applicable legal frameworks and provisions to protect basic fundamental rights. Discussions focused on addressing issues of fear of stigmatization, cultural perceptions, social alienation and public trust in law enforcement. The Minister of Justice of Sri Lanka, Chairman of the Legal Aid Commission, Former President of the Bar Association, Senior Additional Solicitor General of Attorney General’s Department and Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police addressed the participants.

Two workshops were convened in Kilinochchi and Jaffna for 70 state officials and 30 civil society representatives on the application of fundamental rights and referral mechanisms available for violation of rights in Sri Lanka.

Held in collaboration with UNOPS and the Legal Aid Commission, the workshops aimed at strengthening coordination between civil society and criminal justice agencies, giving due consideration to the existing economic and political crisis in Sri Lanka.

UNODC works on empowerment of women in the justice process by promoting critical leadership with enhanced knowledge and capacities. Through the initiative, UNODC reached out to communities to enable them in understanding existing redress and referral mechanisms.

Trainings and legal aid clinics were held in the Northern province for community groups as well as government officials on issues related to violation of rights. Officials from the state authorities received knowledge to assist vulnerable and marginalised victims, while ensuring offender accountability.

This activity contributes to SDG 4, SDG 5 and 16: https://sdg-tracker.org/

(Supported by the UN Secretary General’s Peace Building Fund)