June 23, Colombo (LNW): Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, is arriving in Sri Lanka today (23) for an official visit that will span until June 26.
His presence marks a significant diplomatic development, being the first visit by a UN human rights chief to the island nation in over eight years.
According to Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism, Türk’s itinerary includes high-level engagements across political, religious, and civil sectors.
He is expected to meet with the country’s President and Prime Minister, along with the Foreign Minister and several other key Cabinet figures. Parliamentary members, senior government officials, religious leaders, representatives from civil society, diplomats, and the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka are also scheduled to hold discussions with the visiting dignitary.
The visit is framed as part of a continued dialogue between Sri Lanka and the UN on human rights matters and post-conflict reconciliation. Emphasis will reportedly be placed on strengthening cooperation in the areas of accountability, transitional justice, and the safeguarding of civil liberties.
As part of his tour, Türk is set to travel to the historic city of Kandy, where he will visit the revered Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and meet the Chief Prelates of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters—two of the most influential Buddhist monastic orders in the country.
His journey will also take him to the northern and eastern regions, with planned stops in Jaffna and Trincomalee. There, he is expected to meet with the provincial Governors and engage with local communities, particularly those affected by the long-standing ethnic conflict.
