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Sri Lanka participated prominently in the High Level debate of the United Nations General Assembly to mark the 15^th Anniversary of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). The event was held on 23 May 2018 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and was well attended by ministers and other high officials of anti- corruption entities of member states. The Convention was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 31 October 2003, and entered into force upon ratification by thirty States on 14 December 2005. Today, a vast majority of United Nations Member States are parties (184 countries) to the Convention. Sri Lanka was one of the first countries to become a party to the Convention in March 2004.

Read more: Sri Lanka showcases its Fight Against Corruption at UN High Level Debate

On an invitation extended by President Hassan Rouhani, President Sirisena undertook a two-day State visit to Iran on 12 and 13 May 2018 that included official bilateral discussions between the delegations led by the two Presidents at the Saadabad Palace in Tehran, and a meeting with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Read more: President Maithripala Sirisena’s State Visit to Iran

On an invitation extended by President Hassan Rouhani, President Sirisena undertook a two-day State visit to Iran on 12 and 13 May 2018 that included official bilateral discussions between the delegations led by the two Presidents at the Saadabad Palace in Tehran, and a meeting with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The visit included the signing of five (05) Memoranda of Understanding between the Sri Lanka and Iran for cooperation in:

 -Combating illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs;

-Cinema and Television;

-Standardization, Metrology, Training between the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran (ISIRI) and the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI);

-Cultural, Scientific and Technical Cooperation; and

-Health, Medical Science, Pharmaceutical and Medical Equipment.

Discussions between the two Presidents and the meeting with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on all issues of mutual concern were underpinned by shared people-to-people contact between the two countries that transcend modern politics and diplomacy, dating back to ancient history and culture. Focusing on trade relations between Sri Lanka and Iran, President Sirisena and President Rouhani agreed on the importance of convening the 12th meeting of the Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation (JCEC) in August this year. It was acknowledged that the convening of the JCEC would enable the better management of trade, economic and business cooperation including in areas such as tourism, agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, dairy farming, and investment in sectors such as transport and infrastructure connectivity.

President Sirisena was accompanied on the State Visit by Minister of Foreign Affairs Tilak Marapana, Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine  Rajitha Senaratne, Minister of City Planning and Water Supply Rauff Hakeem, Minister of Industry & Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Higher Education & Cultural Affairs Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe and Member of Parliament K. Kader Masthan.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Colombo

16 May 2018

The first public consultation of the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) can be considered as a success, says Chairman of the OMP, Saliya Peiris PC, as around 250 family members of missing persons attended the meeting in Mannar yesterday(12th).

Peiris told that the commission met with family members of those reported missing, along with civil society groups and members of media. “We engaged in a productive discussion with them where they raised the many concerns they had about the process,” he said, adding that the majority of the families appeared to be disheartened and frustrated but also hopeful they may receive the answers they are searching for.

Read more: OMP HOLDS CONSULTATIONS IN MANNAR

The Office on Missing Persons (OMP) is launching a series of regional-level consultations,  commencing in Mannar on Saturday, 12th May 2018. The consultations are a vital step in the process to operationalise the functions of the OMP in its search for missing and disappeared persons.

Consultations will be held with the families of missing and disappeared persons, activists, professionals and organisations working on the issue. In the coming weeks, the OMP will visit Matara, Trincomalee, Mulaitivu, Kandy, Kilinochchi, Jaffna, Batticaloa and Ampara in a first phase of visits. The purpose of these meetings will be to share the OMP’s organisational plan and strategies, as they currently stand, in order to hear public views and incorporate suggestions on measures and processes. The plans thus far attempt to build on the lessons learned and recommendations from previous commissions and the Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms process.

The OMP understands the urgency and frustration of the families and individuals who have been searching for their loved ones over a number of years, but respectfully requests their patience to ensure vital processes are put in place in order to ensure an effective response and to avoid ad hoc measures. These consultations mark the start of the outreach process of the OMP and are a positive indication that the search for missing and disappeared persons is underway

Source.https:www.news.lk/news/business/item/20491-omp-consultations-commences-in-mannar-tomorrow