On 13 June 2017, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted a Statement, directing law enforcement authorities and the Attorney General to take immediate action against instigators and perpetrators of violence and hate speech against religious and ethnic groups.

To read the full text of this Statement, please follow the relevant link for English, Sinhala or Tamil language.

On 2 May 2017, in a historic move, the cabinet of Ministers of the Government of Sri Lanka approved Sri Lanka's first National Reconciliation Policy.

The process for developing the National Reconciliation Policy was initiated in September 2015 by the Office for National Unity & Reconciliation (ONUR) chaired by Former President Her Excellency Madam Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.

After a one-year comprehensive consultation process with multiple stakeholders including Government officials, ministries, departments, members of provincial councils, civil society, academia, and experts and grass-roots activists, the National Reconciliation Policy was submitted by His Excellency President Maithripala Sirisena in September 2016 to Cabinet of Ministers for discussion. In his accompanying note to the Cabinet, His Excellency stated that the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) had drafted the National Policy in a "manner that reflects that reconciliation is a whole-of-government effort and a multi-stakeholder endeavour."

At this cabinet Meeting in September 2016, Hon Minister Mano Ganeshan, Minister of National Coexistence, Dialogue & Official Languages, requested a few amendments to the document. Hence, the cabinet directed the Secretary to the President to discuss these concerns with ONUR, who had prepared and drafted the National Policy on Reconciliation, and with Ministers and Secretaries of relevant Ministries and present a final version of the National Policy on Reconciliation. The Ministry of National Coexistence, Dialogue & Official Languages sent in amendments comprising paragraphs regards two matters, namely, language policy and coexistence. The rest of the original document as was prepared and drafted by ONUR was agreed to by the Ministry National Coexistence, Dialogue & Official Languages and other relevant Ministries.

Accordingly, ONUR prepared the final version of the National Policy on Reconciliation and it was this final version of the document prepared by ONUR that was adopted by the Government at the cabinet of Ministers' meeting held on 2 May 2016.

ONUR held further discussions and consultations with stakeholders and the revised final version of the National Reconciliation Policy& Coexistence was resubmitted as a joint cabinet
Memorandum by His Excellency President Maithripala Sirisena and Hon Mano Ganeshan, Minister of National Coexistence, Dialogue & Official Languages, to the cabinet of Ministers on 2 May 2017 for adoption.

The National Reconciliation Policy declares that will "serve as the State policy on reconciliation" and "provide direction to the process of national reconciliation in Sri Lanka." Further, it says that it will "provide a guiding framework to all stakeholders working on reconciliation in order to achieve coherence in reconciliation initiatives."

The National Policy on Reconciliation is set to fill a long-standing vacuum due to the absence of a consolidated National Policy on Reconciliation. The National Policy on Reconciliation will aim to satisfy the need of the country for an over-arching vision on reconciliation and a broad, coherent framework to steer and direct the process of national reconciliation. In this regard, it declares that, "Acknowledging that while several reconciliation initiatives are underway, there does not exist an expressed declared policy by the Government of Sri Lanka on the subject; hence this National Policy on Reconciliation aims to bridge this gap."

This National Reconciliation Policy has laid down a set of "Policy Principles" which it defines as "A set of actionable principles and long-term goals that will form the basis for making rules and guidelines, and to provide overall direction to planning and development for national reconciliation. These include Equality, Human Rights, Justice and the Rule of Law, Transitional Justice, Inclusivity and Diversity, Sustainable Development, Civic Consciousness and others. The National Reconciliation Policy also lays down guidelines for stakeholders and actors implementing reconciliation programs and has identified the following as critical to it, namely, Conflict Sensitivity, Cross-Cultural Awareness, Victim-Centeredness, Gender Responsiveness, Foresight and Innovation, Leadership and Sustainability, Efficiency and Effectiveness, Coordination and Complementarity and Clear and Consistent Communication.

The National Reconciliation Policy includes an Implementation Strategy which has stated as follows: "Mainstream the values defined in the National Policy on Reconciliation within government institutions and existing national initiatives through annual work plans; Develop a National Programme and Action Plan for Reconciliation; and Launch public awareness and education campaigns on the National Policy on Reconciliation and the National Programme and Action Plan on Reconciliation."

For further information and interaction regards the National Reconciliation Policy, you may contact Ms Salma Yusuf, Deputy Director, Office for National Unity & Reconciliation at dd.ppm(at)onur.gov.lk and salmayusuf(at)gmail.com.

The full text of the National Reconciliation Policy can be found here in English, Sinhala and Tamil Language.

Chairman, Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee (CAPC) on behalf of Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) invites eligible process licensers of reformer process units to express their interest in providing the services to carry out a Front End Engineering Design (FEED) for a new Continuous Catalyst Regeneration (CCR) type reformer unit for producing high octane gasoline from heavy naphtha feed stock to be installed at the “Sapugaskanda” oil Refinery of Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, Sri Lanka. Further, the same party is expected to carry out FEED studies for revamping of the existing Crude Distiller and Gas Oil Hydrotreater units at the Refinery to increase their capacities.

For further information see here.

The Colombo Tea Traders Association which is the apex body for the Tea trade will be organizing the Colombo International Tea Convention from 9th – 11th August 2017 at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel Colombo. It will begin with the FAO Inter Governmental Group on the 7th and 8th August 2017.

The target audience for this event are tea manufacturers, exporters and suppliers from all over the world. The programme is as follows:

08th August 2017 – Welcome Cocktail
09th August 2017 – Opening Ceremony and Sessions at BMICH & Presidents Tea Party
10th August 2017 – Sessions and Gala Dinner at Cinnamon Grand Hotel
11th August 2017 – Sessions at Cinnamon Grand, Beach Party at Mount Lavinia Hotel

For further information on this major event on Tea, please visit www.ceylonteaevents.com.

From December 19 to December 24, 2016, a high ranking Sri Lankan delegation, led by Honorable Gayantha Karunatilaka and composed by Mr. Naufel Abdul Rahman, Secretary to the Leader of the House of Parliaments, Mr. C. Kuruppu, Secretary to the Chief Government Whip of Parliament, Mr. Anil Samarasekera, Sergeant-at-Arms of Parliament, Mr. Daya Aviruppola, Private Secretary to the Hon. Minister and Ms. Anoma Heiyantuduwa, Coordinating Secretary to the Secretary, Leader of the House visited Austria.

They had successful meetings with Mr. Dr. Wilfried Haslauer, Governor of Salzburg, Mr. Dr. Hans Rathgeb, President of the State Court of Salzburg, the Chamber of Commerce of Salzburg, the Austrian Ombudsman Board represented by Mrs. Dr. Gertrude Brinek and the International Ombudsman Institute.

For the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Austria, Ambassador and Permanent Representative Priyanee Wijesekara and Second Secretary Namal Wijayamuni Zoysa attended to the meetings.

The Embassy and the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka
Vienna, Austria
11.01.2017