National Action Plan for Human Rights
The new National Action Plan for the Protection and Promotional of
Human Rights in Sri Lanka was sanctioned by the Cabinet of Ministers.
The plan was tabled to the Cabinet by Minister of Plantation
Industries and Special Envoy of President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Human
Rights, Mahinda Samarasinghe.
The national action plan stemmed from the pledge made by the
Government at its Universal Periodic Review before the UN Human Rights
Council in 2008. This action plan was made possible with the
contribution of all stake holders including the State and civil society
organisations.
The process began with a review of the human rights situation in the
country, which involved a desk review of several key documents including
the Universal Periodic Review report on Sri Lanka, recommendations of
treaty bodies under various UN human rights conventions and
recommendations of the Special Procedures Mechanism.
This led to the identification of priority areas of civil and
political rights, economic, social and cultural rights, torture, rights
of children, labour rights and rights of migrant workers, rights of
displaced persons in addition to rights already protected through the
Constitution.
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