Sri Lanka will submit its first-ever report on disability rights to a United Nations committee in Geneva next month, with a government delegation led by the Rural Development Minister set to present the country's progress in implementing the international convention.
Sri Lanka's implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will come under scrutiny when the country presents its inaugural report to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Geneva. The review is scheduled for August 14 and 15 at the UN Human Rights headquarters during the committee's 35th session.
A delegation headed by Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment Dr. Upali Pannilage will represent the government, accompanied by ministry secretary Sampath Manthrinayake, Additional Solicitor General Kanishka de Silva Balapatabendi, and officials from the Foreign Affairs Ministry's UN and Human Rights Division. Additional representatives from relevant government agencies are expected to participate remotely during the proceedings.
Ahead of the delegation's departure, Minister Pannilage outlined several recent government initiatives on disability rights. He highlighted that Sri Lanka has appointed a person with a disability to Parliament through the National List for the first time in the country's history. This legislator currently chairs the Parliamentary Caucus for Persons with Disabilities and participates in the legislative process. The government has also secured Cabinet approval to amend the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, with revisions sent to the Attorney General's Department, and approved a Sign Language Bill that will be presented to Parliament.
The Minister noted that multiple line ministries, including those overseeing education, transport, housing, and water supply, are collaborating to address the needs of persons with disabilities. According to Minister Pannilage, the government implemented these policy measures and programs over the past 18 months to enhance the welfare and rights protections for disabled persons.
