Today, the Forum on Disarmament and Development (FDD) engaged in a discussion with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on the "Way Forward for Sri Lanka's Disarmament Sector for 2022/2023" at the Ministry. The discussion was broadly based on improving the country's human security, which will eventually benefit its national security, human rights, non-aligned foreign policy, and becoming a soft-power in the South Asian region. On many occasions in the past, Sri Lanka has been recognized as a “Champion of Disarmament”.
At the discussion, the FDD urged Sri Lanka to become party to and ratify the Total Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) Protocol V on Explosive Remnants of War (ERW), Arms Trade Treaty (ATT); as well as create a local regulation to implement the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). It was also highlighted that Sri Lanka needs to re-engage with the UN Programe of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (UN PoA). Continued support from the Government on prohibition of autonomous weapons and submitting relevant documents on the CCM to the CCM Secretariat was also encouraged.
The FDD also handed over a copy of a 2008 report published by the National Commission Against Proliferation of Illicit Small Arms (NCAPISA) to the Ministry and stressed the importance of re-establishment of the NCAPISA which was dismantled since 2009.
Click the link below to access the key discussion points with the Ministry today.
https://docs.google.com/file/d/1FHqZUH3OmSsBecYmdlTbjWj3s3ZawK-g/edit?usp=docslist_api&filetype=msword
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