On 28 February 2017, the current Chairmanship of the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, Egypt, supported by the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), organized a donors’ meeting for Sri Lanka. The interactive briefing, held in New York, was aimed at helping Sri Lanka develop a comprehensive technical assistance programme to counter terrorism while protecting and promoting the rule of law, including human rights.
Findings from a number of visits to Sri Lanka by CTED, on behalf of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, suggest that the Government of Sri Lanka will require technical assistance to consolidate and build upon the progress made so far. Not only would this help Sri Lanka’s transition to achieving lasting peace, but also prevent the resurgence of terrorism.
Divided into two parts, the donors’ meeting focused on (session I) Sri Lanka’s progress in the area, including recommendations for technical assistance; and (session II) developing a comprehensive technical assistance programme for Sri Lanka. The meeting was opened by H.E. Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Egypt to the United Nations and Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, followed by remarks by H.E. Rohan Perera, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the United Nations. Also Mr. Jean-Paul Laborde, Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of CTED, spoke at the meeting.
CTED will continue to liaise with the Government of Sri Lanka, other UN entities, as well as interested Member States, to support Sri Lanka’s efforts to fully implement the Counter-Terrorism Committee’s recommendations.