Update On Advancing Peacebuilding & Transitional Justice In Sri Lanka

By Mangala Samaraweera –APRIL 19, 2019

Mangala Samaraweera

“Development begins with Reconciliation and that Reconciliation is essential for Sri Lanka to realize its vision of a stable, peaceful, reconciled and prosperous nation, for everyone.”

Remarks by Mangala Samaraweera, MP, Minister of Finance of Sri Lanka – Ambassadorial-Level Meeting of the Peacebuilding Commission: Update on Advancing Peacebuilding and Transitional Justice in Sri Lanka, New York, 17 April 2019:

His Excellency Ambassador Ion Jinga, Vice Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission,

Assistant Secretary General for Peacebuilding Support, Mr. Oscar Fernandez-Taranco,

UN Resident Coordinator, Ms. Hanaa Singer,

Excellencies,

Officials,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning to all of you.

It is an honour for me to be here to share with you, Sri Lanka’s experience in Peacebuilding. I am joined by the Secretary-General of the Secretariat for Coordinating Reconciliation Mechanisms Mr. Mano Tittawella, the Chairperson of the Office on Missing Persons Mr. Saliya Pieris, and the Secretary-General and CEO of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Ms. Dhara Wijayatilake who has just been appointed by the President, on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council, as Chair of the Office for Reparations. 

I agree wholeheartedly with the Secretary-General’s words that, 

Efforts to build and sustain peace are necessary not only once conflict has broken out, but long beforehand through preventing conflict and addressing its root causes. And that we must all work better together across the peace continuum, focusing on all the dimensions of conflict. 

Therefore, I want to first thank all of you for the work that you do through the Peacebuilding Commission, the Peabuilding Fund, and the Peacebuilding Support Office, in connection with situations across the world.  

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

As all of you are probably aware, almost 30 years of conflict in Sri Lanka ended in May 2009. 

Yet, for almost 6 years since the end of the conflict, we did not succeed in addressing fundamental issues related to good governance, rule of law, human rights and dealing with the past, that are necessary for sustaining peace and securing economic development that are required for our nation’s long-term progress and prosperity. 

However, following the mandates given by the people at the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections in January and August 2015, we were able to hit the re-set button to re-gain and re-launch Sri Lanka on a new trajectory to, 

reach out to the international community;

restore and renew valuable relationships and partnerships with the international community including the United Nations; and 

work towards restoring trust and confidence both locally and internationally, including with persons of Sri Lankan origin overseas.

The peacebuilding journey that we embarked upon in January 2015 to ensure non-recurrence of conflict was based on the pillars of – 

strengthening democracy and good governance; 

reconciliation; and 

inclusive and equitable growth and development in the country.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the present Secretary-General Mr. Antonio Guterres, their respective teams at headquarters and the Country Team in Sri Lanka have all been extremely supportive of Sri Lanka’s journey since January 2015, from the moment we reached out to the UN. 

I recall coming to New York as Foreign Minister, to meet Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, on 13 February 2015, just a month following the January 8th Presidential Election. At this meeting, I explained the path that the National Unity Government that we had formed was taking on ushering in sustainable peace and reconciliation in the country, and sought the UN’s assistance through the Peacebuilding Fund. The funding we received from the Immediate Response Facility and longer-term funding have been invaluable to us in a multitude of areas, including resettlement of the internally displaced, holding country-wide consultations on reconciliation mechanisms, and obtaining the correct technical expertise and advice at the right time, in a timely manner which the constraints of Government procedures do not often permit.  

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