On a proposal by Minister Samarasinghe:

Task Force to expedite Rights Action Plan

Accountable to Inter-Ministerial Committee:

Special Envoy of the President on Human Rights and Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe proposed that a Task Force functioning under the Inter-Ministerial Committee on implementation of the National Action Plan on Human Rights should meet regularly to expedite and monitor action on the plan.

Following the appointment of a Cabinet Sub-Committee on Human Rights, the Inter-Ministerial Committee on implementation of the National Action Plan on Human Rights met under Minister Samarasinghe’s chairmanship.

Secretaries of ministries involved in the implementation of the plan and other stakeholders participated with Cabinet Sub-Committee secretary Mohan Peiris acting as committee secretary.

MP Prof Rajiva Wijesinha, who was the Disaster Management and Human Rights Ministry Secretary at the time the Action Plan was prepared, was appointed by Minister Samarasinghe to convene the Task Force. The Task Force would report regularly to the Inter-Ministerial Committee.

The minister noted that the Action Plan had been adopted by Cabinet, which had implemented its first commitment in line with the National Action Plan, the appointment of a Cabinet Sub-Committee on Human Rights.

It was expected that all ministries would incorporate the recommendations in their Action Plans, and share this information with the Inter-Ministerial Committee.

The minister noted that the implementation progress of the Human Rights Action Plan would be regularly placed before the Cabinet of Ministers through the Cabinet Sub-Committee.