Kamalesh Sharma here on five-day visit

Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma arrived in the country yesterday on a five- day visit which will include a day trip to Jaffna.

A release from the Commonwealth Office stated the Secretary General's visit is to brief the current Commonwealth Chair-in-Office, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, on the achievement of objectives and implementation of work set at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka in November 2013.

Making his first trip to the region as the Secretary General, Sharma will visit Jaffna today where he is scheduled to meet Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Vigneswaran and the Governor Lt. Gen. G.A.Chandrasiri. He will review post conflict developments in the North and discuss remaining challenges while there.

Sharma will call on External Affairs Minister Prof.G.L.Peiris and the Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa among others.

He will also meet the Chairperson and Commissioners of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, the Elections Commissioner and representatives of civil society organisations.

Before his departure on Wednesday the Secretary-General will review the implementation of various joint initiatives between the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Government aimed at supporting institution building in areas of human rights, the judiciary, public service and the media.