By: Isuru Parakrama

Colombo (LWN): The Child Protection Alliance (CPA) has written to President Ranil Wickremesinghe demanding immediate legal reforms to address the country’s national child protection crisis, in the backdrop where child abuse is official recognised as the second biggest crime in the island.

Despite matters being raised on a number of occasions, the authorities remain maintaining a silent policy without addressing this national crisis, the CPA lamented.

Accordingly, the CPA has written to the President about the urgent measures to be taken to address the worsening child protection crisis in the country, reminding that Wickremesinghe as the Cabinet Minister for Women and Child Affairs and Social Empowerment must adopt clear and sustainable changes to eliminate this crisis immediately.

Thereby, the CPA further requested the President to grant them the opportunity to meet and discuss this matter and the measures to be implemented to protect and promote children’s rights.

The Child Protection Alliance (CPA) is a collective of children’s rights activists including Avanka Lanka Foundation, Bakamoono.lk, Hashtag Generation, iProbono, Meraki Sri Lanka, Promoters for Equal Partnership in Leadership, Right to Life Human Rights Centre, Schools 4.0 Lanka, Sri Lanka Unites, Stop Child Cruelty Trust, Youth Advocacy Network Sri Lanka, and Youth for Tomorrow.

Indian Naval Submarine ‘Vagir’, which is the latest indigenous Kalvari-class submarine of the Indian Navy, will undertake an operational visit at Colombo from 19-22 Jun 2023 to commemorate the 9^th edition of International Day of Yoga (IDY) under the theme of ‘Global Ocean Ring’. The Commanding Officer of the Indian Naval submarine, Commander Divakar. S will call on Commander Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral Suresh De Silva. Further, during the submarine’s visit the vessel would be open for visitors and school children.

2. The High Commission of India in coordination with Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre is scheduled to organize a grand event at Colombo Port to celebrate IDY on 21 June 2023 with participation of senior defence hierarchy and personnel from Indian and Sri Lanka Navies. The Indian Navy is participating in the 9^th edition of IDY with the unique initiative of performing Yoga on selected ports across the world forming a ‘Global Ocean Ring’. Connecting people the world over in a common pursuit of wellness, IDY 2023 resonates with the theme of India’s ongoing presidency of the G20, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam or ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’.

3. Further, it may be recalled that Indian Naval Ships Delhi, Sukanya, Kiltan and Savitri had earlier visited Colombo and Trincomalee earlier this year, during which Yoga sessions were organised with Sri Lanka Navy. Recently, in June 2023, Sri Lankan Armed Forces participated in the three-day Yoga workshop across five cities in Sri Lanka, which was organized by Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre. Visits by Indian Navy ships and submarines in Sri Lanka aim to foster brotherhood and togetherness between the two neighbouring navies in keeping with the India’s vision of ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and ‘Security and Growth for all in the Region (SAGAR)’.

* * *

Colombo

18 June 2023

Colombo (LNW): The United Nations’ Human Rights Council (UNHRC) will convene its fifty-third regular session from June 19, 2023 to July 14, 2023 in Geneva.

Accordingly, the session will convene at 10 am Geneva time today, under the presidency of Ambassador Václav Bálek (Czechia).  

During the session, the UNHRC will hold 28 interactive dialogues with Special Procedures mandate holders and investigative mechanisms. The final outcomes of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of 13 member states will also be taken into consideration.

These member states are Czechia, Argentina, Gabon, Ghana, Peru, Guatemala, Benin, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, Pakistan, Zambia, Japan and Sri Lanka.

On Wednesday (21), the UNHRC will hear oral updates on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka and Nicaragua.

By: Staff Writer

Colombo (LNW): Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena pointing out the immense progress in women participation in almost every sector said it is imperative for Sri Lankan women to play a bigger role in decision making.

Speaking at the Thirteenth Top50 Women Global Economic Forum and Top50 Global Professional and Career Women Awards 2023 in Colombo on June 17, he said the outstanding achievements of women are all the more remarkable considering their immense contribution to realize humanity’s noblest and vital projects of sustainable development goals in their countries and beyond in this interdependent world.

He thanked Women in Management (WIM) and Women in Work (IFC) for celebrating achievements of a constellation of women economic leaders from around the world in this award ceremony which, will be an incentive for women in the field of economy in particular and women in general.

Congratulating the awardees, he said they have demonstrated through their life and work and their leadership in different spheres of economic activity, and their efforts, while contributing to the global economy, have boosted the cause of gender equality and women’s empowerment. “These women leaders have made a difference, not just a small difference but a big and critical one,” he said.

´Our awardees today are eminent women who have broken glass ceilings, have pushed the frontiers of women’s leadership and have paved the path for other women and girls to follow in their footsteps and become future leaders,” the Prime Minister stated and pointed out that these women leaders have become role models for their country women and girls and they provide inspiration to their gender across countries and continents.

He congratulated the organizers for selecting most appropriate theme, “Positioning Women’s Business Leadership at the Forefront of Sri Lanka’s Economic Recovery,” as the government is fully committed to the policy of gender equality and women empowerment.