Special HR envoy to meet UN Chief during Third Committee meeting

Special Human Rights Envoy Plantation Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe is scheduled to meet United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon next week for discussions on several key issues.

Minister Samarasinghe is scheduled to meet the UN Chief on 26 October during the meetings of the Social, Humanitarian Cultural Affairs Committee (Third Committee) of the 66th session of the UN General Assembly currently being held in New York.

The Minister will brief the UN Chief on the current progress achieved in human rights in Sri Lanka, the incidents at the UN Human Rights Council and the contents of the Expert Panel Report, national news agency Lankapuwath reported.

He will also meet several British parliamentarians and apprise them of the current situation in the country.

The Minister will also deliver a special speech on behalf of Sri Lanka at the Third Committee meeting on 24 October.

At the current session the Committee will focus on the examination of human rights questions, including reports of the special procedures of the Human Rights Council. The Committee will hear and interact with 34 such special rapporteurs, independent experts, and chairs of working groups of the Human Rights Council.