CAT/C/LKA/CO/5
(b)
The adoption, on 23 August 2016, of the Office of Missing Persons Act No.
14;
(c)
The adoption, on 15 May 2015, of the nineteenth amendment to the
Constitution, which reinstituted the Constitutional Council and led to the appointment of
several independent constitutional commissions;
(d)
The promulgation, on 7 March 2015, of the Assistance to and Protection of
Victims of Crime and Witnesses Act No. 4;
(e)
The adoption, in 2013, of Crimes Circular No. 2/2013, providing for
disciplinary action against officers who fail to properly register detained persons.
6.
The Committee takes note of the State party’s initiatives to amend its policies and
procedures to afford greater protection of human rights and to apply the Convention, in
particular:
(a)
The appointment, in January 2016, of a task force to conduct national
consultations on transitional justice processes and mechanisms and the establishment, in
November 2015, of the Secretariat for the Coordination of the Reconciliation Mechanisms;
(b)
The establishment, in July 2016, of an inter-institutional committee to take
preventive measures against torture;
(c)
The instructions, issued in April 2016 by the commanders of the army, navy
and air force, indicating that strict action will be taken against human rights violations;
(d)
The directives, issued on 17 June 2016 by the President to the armed forces
and the police, to ensure that the fundamental rights of persons arrested under the
Prevention of Terrorism Act are respected and to assist the Human Rights Commission of
Sri Lanka in the exercise of its duties;
(e)
The adoption, in May 2011, of the National Action Plan for the Protection
and Promotion of Human Rights (2011-2016), which identifies “prevention of torture” as
one of the priority areas;
(f)
The launch, on 16 November 2016, of the Policy Framework and National
Action Plan to address sexual and gender-based violence (2016-2020).
7.
The Committee expresses its appreciation for the standing invitation extended by the
State party to the special procedures of the Human Rights Council in December 2015. It
also notes with appreciation the visits to the State party during the period under review by
the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment; the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers; the
Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances; the Special Rapporteur on the
promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence; the Special
Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants; and the Special Rapporteur on the human
rights of internally displaced persons; as well as by the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights.
C.
Principal subjects of concern and recommendations
Pending follow-up issues from the previous reporting cycle
8.
While noting with appreciation the State party’s compliance with the follow-up
procedure and the written information provided by the State party (CAT/C/LKA/CO/34/Add.1), the Committee regrets that the recommendations identified for follow-up in the
previous concluding observations (CAT/C/LKA/CO/3-4) have not been implemented,
namely accountability for past violations (paras. 15-16), investigation of torture allegations
2