UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, stressed the urgency of addressing these challenges if the country is to move forward, recalling the 2022 anti-Government protests demanding a fairer and more inclusive society.

“But the potential for a historic transformation that would address long-standing challenges is far from being realized.”

The UN rights chief’s message coincides with the launch of a new report documenting the country’s human rights situation. It outlines the challenges and opportunities to address them, in the wake of the 2022 economic crisis.

Families search for truth

Although the brutal decades-long civil war ended more than 14 years ago, tens of thousands of victims and their families in Sri Lanka still seek truth and justice.

While the Government proposed a new truth-seeking mechanism, meaningful and transparent consultations with victims and civil society are essential for the success of any transitional justice process, OHCHR said.

This includes putting an end to all forms of harassment and unlawful surveillance, and supporting initiatives to acknowledge and memorialize victims’ experiences.

“Truth-seeking alone will not suffice. It must also be accompanied by a clear commitment to accountability and the political will to implement far-reaching change,” Mr. Türk said.

Concerns over proposed laws

The report raises concerns over proposed new laws, such as the Anti-Terrorism Bill before parliament and legislation to regulate broadcasting.

It also highlights the need for comprehensive security sector reform, including reduced military spending and a cut in military personnel in areas affected by armed conflict.

The report also calls on the authorities to accelerate investigations and prosecutions into emblematic cases of human rights violations, as well as the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which claimed 269 lives and injured over 500.

Economic crisis

The report summarizes the impact of the 2022 economic crisis on the human rights and well-being of Sri Lankans.

The crisis resulted in severe shortages in fuel, electricity, food, medicines, and other essential items. While some stabilization occurred in 2023, many experienced a sharp decline in living standards, and the country still grapples with a heavy debt burden.

Poverty has almost doubled – from 13 per cent in 2021 to 25 per cent in 2022, according to World Bank estimates, and it is projected to further rise to 27.4 per cent this year, and remain over 25 per cent for the next few years.

Women have borne a “distinct impact” post-crisis, as many are primarily engaged in informal sectors of the economy and face limited access to social protection, said OHCHR.

Food and education

Food insecurity and access to health and education also remain major concerns.

Across the country, about 37 per cent of households faced acute food insecurity in November 2022, leading to a significant number of families buying cheaper less nutritious food and sometimes skipping meals altogether, leading to fears of rising malnutrition among children.

Mental health has also been affected as people face multiple stresses due to price increases, scarcity and loss of income.

Access to education is also at risk, amid rising truancy due to competing economic needs, and higher transport and food costs.

Children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds and girls are particularly vulnerable, OHCHR noted.

Recommendations

The report outlines a series of recommendations, including a call on the Government to guarantee people’s economic and social rights, tackle corruption and create an enabling environment for a successful and sustainable transitional justice process.

It also urges increased women’s participation in political life and decision-making, as well as ensuring free and fair elections at all levels of government.

The report also calls on the international community to support effective and meaningful transitional justice processes, in compliance with international norms, and targeted sanctions against those credibly alleged to have perpetrated gross human rights violations.

It details how systemic racism, marginalization and exclusion, rooted in the legacies of enslavement and colonialism, continue to have a negative effect on all aspects of life.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urged States to “accelerate action towards meaningful, inclusive and safe participation for people of African descent in every aspect of public affairs”.

Tackling systemic racism 

The UN rights chief emphasized that efforts to address systemic racism must be grounded in evidence, with data analysed in terms of race and ethnic origin.

But he warned that many countries still do not collect, publish, or use such data to inform policymaking.

While the report includes examples where participation has been facilitated, it cautions that there are persistent challenges and the lack of “a safe and enabling environment” in many countries.

“Racial abuse and discrimination, surveillance, harassment, intimidation, arrests and violence against people of African descent and civil society actors of African descent, hinder meaningful, inclusive and safe participation for people of African descent in public affairs in many countries,” Mr. Türk said.

 Targeted action

The High Commissioner urged States to take targeted action to change the status quo.

This includes evidence-based legal, policy and institutional approaches to dismantle systemic racism, including in law enforcement, as described in a new guidance note on transformative change for racial justice and equality. 

Deaths continue

According to the OHCHR report, the deaths of people of African descent during or after interactions with law enforcement continue.

It found that little progress has been made to address impunity – despite attempts by families seeking justice.

“Deaths during or after interactions with law enforcement continue to be reported, with insufficient progress towards accountability and redress,” Mr. Türk said.

“States need to take firm action to ensure justice and redress in these cases, and to put in place strengthened and independent oversight mechanisms. It is essential that they examine what role racial discrimination, stereotypes and biases play in law enforcement and accountability processes,” he added.

The case of Adama Traoré

Speaking in Geneva, OHCHR spokesperson, Ravina Shamdasani, pointed out that the death of 24-year-old Adama Traoré in police custody in 2016 was “one of seven illustrative cases” in the report, demonstrating the “challenges that families of African descent face in seeking truth and justice promptly”.

Last week judges concluded that the gendarmes responsible for his arrest in Beaumont-sur-Oise, north of Paris, had not committed “illegitimate intentional violence” and could not be charged for failing in their duties.

Ms. Shamdasani emphasized that OHCHR is watching the case closely following the family’s decision to appeal the ruling.

She noted that: “Seven years after his death the family are still waiting for the full truth to be formally established, for corresponding responsibilities and for appropriate measures to be taken to ensure that justice and effective remedies are put in place so such an incident cannot occur again”.

She added that the report highlights allegations of an online smear campaign and threats against Adama Traoré’s sister.

These include posts from accounts on social media site X of two professional police unions, following her cooperation with the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) last year.

“We will continue to follow this closely,” she said. 

Reparations

Regarding questions of reparations for people of African descent, Ms. Shamdasani pointed out that the High Commissioner has insisted on several pillars of the response to systemic racism.

These include “confronting the legacies of the past, accountability and redress”.  She stressed that Mr. Turk believes “States need to recognise that behind contemporary forms of racism, dehumanization and exclusion, is a failure to acknowledge responsibilities for enslavement”.

He believes there is a need to “comprehensively repair the harms”.

She emphasized again that the process of redress needed to be “informed by people of African descent,” with “wide-ranging initiatives, including formal acknowledgement, apologies, truth-telling processes and reparations in various forms. This should be structured through “the effective participation of people of African descent and their communities,” she added.