UN CED Examines Sri Lanka for the First Time: Time for Action

This week Sri Lanka will appear before the United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) for the very first time. The CED is the body of independent experts tasked with monitoring how states implement the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

Sri Lanka signed the Convention in 2015 and ratified it in 2016. In Geneva, nearly a decade later, the Committee will finally review Sri Lanka’s record. The Sri Lankan government submitted its initial report in 2023, which attempted to highlight new institutions such as the Office on Missing Persons and the enactment of the Enforced Disappearances Act of 2018. The Committee has since issued a list of concerns and questions, which Sri Lanka must now address in public session on Friday 26 September, following reviews of Montenegro and Benin.

Why this Session Matters: The Unfinished Fight for Justice

Sri Lanka has one of the highest numbers of enforced disappearances in the world. Estimates range from 60,000 to 100,000 people missing since the 1980s. Families across the island have spent decades searching for answers, often facing harassment and intimidation for doing so.

The Office on Missing Persons, established in 2016, has achieved little in the eyes of families of the disappeared. It remains under-resourced, mistrusted and slow to act. Meanwhile, emblematic cases remain unresolved and mass graves, such as the recent discoveries at Chemmani in the north and court orders to excavate Kurukkalmadam near Batticaloa, continue to reveal the devastating scale of the crimes that have taken place.

One Unified Call: What Must Happen Now

As Sri Lanka approaches this critical review, the Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice urges both the Government of Sri Lanka and the CED to act decisively together to break the long cycle of impunity and deliver real justice.

– Protect families of the disappeared: Authorities must cease all forms of intimidation, surveillance, and obstruction. The CED should call for robust protections and swift investigations when harassment occurs.

–Acknowledge scale and disclose data: The government must admit the full extent of enforced disappearances and publicly release accurate data, including the records of previous commissions of inquiry which confirmed around 27,000 enforced disappearances and the OMP’s current caseload figures. The CED should press for this transparency.

–Provide reparations and support services: The government must provide reparations and support civil society in delivering psychological counselling, financial aid and legal assistance to families of the disappeared.

–Reform the OMP and ensure independence: Sri Lanka must resource the OMP adequately, guarantee its operational independence and improve its transparency. The Committee should demand these reforms and the restoration of trust with victims’ families.

–Pursue emblematic criminal cases: Investigations and prosecutions must begin for notable disappearances, including the many “white van” abductions of journalists and human rights activists. The CED should insist on time-bound progress.

–Adopt a transparent, well-resourced national exhumation policy: This should include clear procedures in line with international forensic standards and dedicated funding. Establish and maintain a national DNA bank to ensure remains can be identified.

–Reform enabling laws: The government must amend or repeal statutes such as counter-terrorism laws like the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) that allow secret detention. The Committee must hold Sri Lanka accountable to international norms.

–Enable individual complaints and follow-up: Sri Lanka should submit declarations under Articles 31 and 32 of the Convention, allowing individuals and States to bring cases to the CED. The Committee must make this a central recommendation.

–Establish benchmarks and require follow-up: The CED should urge Sri Lanka to commit to a timeline of measurable milestones and mandate a prompt follow-up review to assess compliance.

This review is a crucial opportunity to confront decades of state failure and begin delivering truth and justice to families who have been waiting for far too long. What matters now are concrete steps, not promises. The Sri Lanka Campaign will be closely following the proceedings, raising the voices of families of the disappeared and pressing for commitments that lead to real change on the ground.