Recent reports highlighted instances of sexual violence during the war in Sri Lanka and post war period. Despite promises of change with the election of the Sirisena administration in January 2015, the government has done little to end impunity for acts of rape and sexual violence. The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) consensus Resolution, “Promoting Reconciliation, Accountability and Human […]
The Centre for Policy Alternatives celebrated its 20th anniversary on the 17th of June 2016. Several senior members of the staff shared their memories of CPA, reflections on the impact the organisation has had and its relevance for the future.
CPA thanks the chairperson and members of the subcommittee on fundamental rights for the opportunity to give oral submissions on 29th June 2016. In relation to the form and content of fundamental rights, their enforcement, and the concept of constitutionalism that should underpin the future constitution’s bill of rights, a number of ideas were put […]
The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) is thankful to the chairperson and members of the Subcommittee of the Constitutional Assembly on the Judiciary, for the invitation to provide written submissions in respect of the judiciary. Even though some institutional improvements towards securing the rule of law have been made by the Nineteenth Amendment to the […]
by Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu There is no getting away from the issue of international participation in the accountability mechanism, specifically that of foreign judges. The 2015 Geneva resolution co-sponsored by the Sri Lankan government explicitly allows for this in terms of the active participation of internationals but does not spell out their precise role. The issue keeps surfacing with […]
In 2015, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted the consensus Resolution tilted ‘Promoting Reconciliation, Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka’ which provided a framework for transitional justice in Sri Lanka, including the establishment of four specific mechanisms. The Office on Missing Persons (OMP) is to be the first. The Government of Sri Lanka […]
The Centre for Policy Alternatives continues to document and support communities in Colombo who were forcibly evicted or relocated under the previous Government’s Urban Regeneration Project, which was carried out by the Urban Development Authority and the then Ministry of Defence and Urban Development. Thousands of families living in the UDA built high rises continue to hope that the […]
Centre for Policy Alternatives on 28 July, 2016