The delegation of Sri Lanka led by Dr. Upali Pannilage, Minister of Rural Development, Social Security, and Community Empowerment successfully presented its initial national report under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) during the 35th Session of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 14 August 2026, in Geneva, Switzerland.
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD Committee), during its 35th session, will review Sri Lanka’s initial report under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in Geneva on 14th August 2026.
The Review will take the form of an interactive dialogue between the Government of Sri Lanka’s Delegation and the CRPD Committee. Members of the Delegation will participate both in person in Geneva and virtually from Colombo.
Sri Lanka’s Delegation to the Review will be led by Dr. Upali Pannilage, Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment.
The Delegation participating in person in Geneva will consist of senior officials from the Ministry of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism and Attorney-General’s Department, together with officials of the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva.
The Delegation participating virtually from Colombo will comprise senior officials and representatives from other relevant Ministries and institutions.
Sri Lanka ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2016 and submitted its initial report under the Convention in October 2019. In December 2025, Sri Lanka also responded to a list of issues from the Committee, providing further information. The review will provide an opportunity for the Government of Sri Lanka and the Committee to take stock of Sri Lanka’s implementation of the Convention and engage in a constructive dialogue on measures to protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities.
Sri Lanka will be considered alongside Slovakia, Qatar, Lithuania and Chile during the Committee’s 35th session, which is being held from 12 to 27 August 2026 in Geneva.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment & Tourism
Colombo
13 August 2026
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Speaking at the 62nd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Sumith Dassanayake reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment to advancing the rights and well-being of all its people through a nationally owned, democratic and constitutionally grounded process.
The Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva proudly presented photographic portraits of two prominent Sri Lankan women leaders at the prestigious UN photo exhibition, under the theme “Not a Woman’s Job? Women Leading Countries, Societies and Communities,” held on 30 June 2026 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka Sumith Dassanayake had a constructive engagement with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ambassador Volker Türk, at Palais Wilson today (13 April 2026).
During the meeting, Permanent Representative Dassanayake briefed the High Commissioner on the recent developments in Sri Lanka and discussed several matters of mutual interest. Ambassador Dassanayake reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s continued and constructive engagement with the Human Rights Council and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
High Commissioner Türk appreciated Ambassador Dassanayake for the briefing, while expressing continued support for Sri Lanka through OHCHR.
Ambassador Sumith Dassanayake, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva highlighted Sri Lanka’s continued journey towards economic, social and political transformation, speaking under the high-level segment of the UN Human Rights Council on 25 February 2026.
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- Statement by Sri Lanka as the country concerned during the consideration of draft resolution HRC. 60/L.1/Rev.1 on Sri Lanka at the 60th Session of Human Rights Council on 6th October 2025
- Sri Lanka reaffirms its commitment to the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances