US Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power has reiterated support to Sri Lanka’s reconciliation efforts.
Ambassador Power pledged support to Sri Lanka during a meeting with Former President, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga at the Sri Lankan mission to the UN in New York.
Former President Kumaratunga is currently engaged in an official visit to New York as the Chairperson of Sri Lanka’s Office of National Unity and Reconciliation to attend the special UN General Assembly debate on Peace and Security.
The US embassy in a communiqué said Ambassador Power and the former President extensively discussed the work and plans of the ONUR and the critical importance of bridging old divides and reconciling with the past.
The Ambassador’s meetings with the families of missing persons, and the work of the Office of Missing Persons, including its efforts to consult Lankan civil society and minority communities were also discussed at the meeting.
During the engagement Ambassador Samantha Power emphasized the need of addressing alleged human rights abuses and urged the government to take prompt action to move forward with its efforts in transitional justice.
She urged that any mechanism be accompanied by proactive outreach to keep the public informed and engaged.
Furthermore the Lankan government’s continuous efforts to counter corruption and overcoming economic challenges left behind by the previous government were also deliberated during the meeting.
The US embassy said the two parties agreed on the urgency of delivering a democracy dividend to the Lankan peo
