EU urges Sri Lanka to formally abolish death penalty

COLOMBO (News 1st); The EU emphasized its opposition to the death penalty in all circumstances and encouraged Sri Lanka to take steps towards the formal abolition of capital punishment during the meeting with the fifth European Union – Sri Lanka Working Group on Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights recently. Issuing a press release on the relevant meeting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the two partners reaffirmed their commitment to good governance, adherence to the rule of law, and protection of human rights and discussed common interests pertaining to the protection and promotion of fundamental rights and freedoms as well. The EU further reiterated the importance of fostering social, economic and political inclusion through justice, reconciliation and accountability. The two sides discussed the 20th Amendment, independence of the judiciary, separation of powers and the ongoing work of independent institutions. The two sides reiterated the importance of the effective functioning of independent institutions. Sri Lanka updated the EU on the extensive legal reform program undertaken by the Ministry of Justice, through consultative processes that brought together officials, sector experts and members of the official and unofficial Bars. The EU encouraged Sri Lanka to consider a broad consultation process in this undertaking. The EU and Sri Lanka agreed on the importance of engaging civil society and giving it the necessary space to function in all its diversity. The EU expressed its readiness to continue supporting Sri Lanka in these efforts. The Working Group discussed matters related to minorities and measures to address hate speech. Sri Lanka highlighted the pluralistic composition of the country where the rights of all communities are equally guaranteed by the Constitution. Sri Lanka provided an update on the action in process to review the Prevention of Terrorism Act, and reiterated its commitment to bring it in line with international norms and standards within a time bound process. The EU and Sri Lanka agreed to take stock of progress in this regard by the next meeting of the EU-Sri Lanka Joint Commission in early 2022. The need to uphold international norms and standards of human rights while countering terrorism and violent extremism was also underlined. Both sides discussed cooperation with the Human Rights Council, including treaty bodies, special procedures and universal periodic review. They agreed to work towards enhancing cooperation in multilateral fora, including in the achievement of the SDGs by 2030 in the United Nations framework.