The Forum on Disarmament and Development (FDD) congratulate the governments of the Maldives on their accession to the Nuclear Ban Treaty (NBT) on 26th September  2019 and Convention on Cluster Munitions  (CCM) and  Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)  on 27th September 2019 and Bangladesh accession to the NBT on 26th September 2019.

The FDD is advocating both countries to accede and ratify the Nuclear Ban Treaty (NBT), Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) and Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM). The FDD met both governments in their capitals, in Geneva (during 8th Meeting of States Parties to the CCM) and their diplomats in Colombo and to discuss the importance of accession and ratification of the NBT, ATT and CCM.

The FDD continues to advocate the Bangladesh Government on the matter and FDD is hopeful that Bangladesh accede and ratify of the CCM and ATT soon. Further, FDD encourages Sri Lanka to accede to the ATT and NBT and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) Protocol V on Explosive Remnants of War (ERW)  without delay. 

The FDD advocates that the Government of Sri Lanka ratifies the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) Protocol V on Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) on or before the 4th Review Conference of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention which will be held in Oslo, Norway from 25th November 2019. Sri Lanka's ratification of the Protocol V shows the country's commitment towards becoming free from the threat of ERW in the conflict affected-areas of the country.

On the 30th August 2019, the Forum on Disarmament and Development (FDD) sent a letter to President Maithripala Sirisena on the abolition of the Executive Presidency before 31st December 2019. The President himself replied to the FDD letter stating that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Government MPs are responsible for the matter not himself.

After receiving the letter from the President, the FDD dispatched a letter to the Prime Minister urging him and the Government MPs to support the President and work on the matter without delay.

The Forum on Disarmament and Development (FDD) received a letter from President Maithripala Sirisena on 11th September 2019, concerning his views on abolition of the Executive Presidency in reply to the letter sent by FDD on 30th August 2019.

The letter has stated that he is still willing to abolish the Executive Presidency but the Prime Minister and members of Government MPs have no interest in the matter. He thanked the letter sent by the FDD and he stated in the letter that he has an idea to send a similar letter to the Prime Minister.

During the 9th Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) held in Geneva, the FDD met the Bangladesh and Maldives delegations with the CCM 2nd Review Conference (2RC) President and  Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the Conference on Disarmament to the UN in Geneva  Ambassador Félix Baumann. The President of the CCM 2RC and FDD encouraged Bangladesh and Maldives to become parties to the CCM before the 2RC which will be held in November 2020.

During the bilateral discussions with them it discussed the possibilities to accede or ratify the Nuclear Ban Treaty (NBT) and Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) by Bangladesh and Maldives. Early this year the FDD met both the governments on the same matter.

For the first time Sri Lanka is a President of a UN humanitarian disarmament convention after the country became a member of the UN in 1955. Sri Lanka is the President of the 9th Meeting of the State Parties (9MSP) to The Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) which is taking place at the UN Geneva from today onwards.

Sri Lanka acceded to the CCM in 2018 and the same year became the President. Further, Sri Lanka ratified the UN Disability Convention (CRPD) in 2016 and acceded to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (MBT) in 2017. The Sri Lanka Campaign to Ban Landmines (SLCBL) tirelessly campaigned to make this happen. Sri Lanka should seek the possibilities to take the leadership in the world of disarmament, be supportive of international peaceful means and maintain non-aligned foreign policy which will help to build the country's image internationally.