UN subcommittee on prevention of torture concludes second visit to Sri Lanka

Colombo, July 1 (Daily Mirror) - The United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) concluded its second official visit to Sri Lanka on June 24, 2026, following a 10-day mission aimed at assessing the country's efforts to prevent torture and ill-treatment, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Ministry Colombo said.

The four-member SPT delegation visited Sri Lanka from June 15 to 24 and held discussions with senior government officials, independent institutions, and civil society representatives as part of its mandate under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT).

During the visit, the delegation met Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, and Minister of Justice and National Integration, Harshana Nanayakkara. At the meeting held on June 15, the ministers reaffirmed the government's zero-tolerance policy towards torture and reiterated Sri Lanka's commitment to protecting human rights and engaging constructively with international treaty bodies through cooperation and dialogue.

The SPT delegation also met senior representatives of key government ministries, departments, and institutions during a high-level meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism. The discussions were co-chaired by senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice and National Integration.

Representatives from the Ministries of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, Defence, Health and Mass Media, Women and Child Affairs, and Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment participated in the discussions. Officials from the Attorney General's Department, Sri Lanka Police, Department of Prisons, Department of Probation and Child Care Services, Department of Immigration and Emigration, National Dangerous Drugs Control Board, and the Bureau of Rehabilitation also attended.

During the meetings, government stakeholders outlined legislative, administrative, and institutional reforms that have been implemented or are currently underway to strengthen measures aimed at preventing torture and ensuring compliance with national and international obligations.

The delegation also held discussions with the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), which functions as the National Preventive Mechanism under OPCAT, as well as the Judicial Service Commission and representatives of civil society organizations.

A debriefing session with government stakeholders was held on June 23, during which the SPT delegation presented its preliminary observations. The delegation acknowledged Sri Lanka's commitment to preventing torture and ill-treatment and commended the government for facilitating unrestricted access to detention facilities and for its cooperation throughout the visit.

According to the government, Sri Lanka engaged with the SPT in an open, constructive, and transparent manner, in line with its policy of cooperation with the United Nations and its voluntarily undertaken treaty obligations.

The SPT delegation was headed by Aisha Shujune Muhammad of the Maldives and included Jakub Julian Czepek of Poland, Anica Tomsic of Croatia, and Nika Kvaratskhelia of Georgia. The delegation was accompanied by officials from the SPT Secretariat based in Geneva, Switzerland.

This marked the SPT's second visit to Sri Lanka, following its first mission in April 2019 after Sri Lanka acceded to the OPCAT in December 2017.