UN Rights Chief Volker Türk Visits Sri Lanka

The High Commissioner is scheduled to meet with President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena during his stay from June 23 to 26.

 His agenda includes discussions with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Ministers of Foreign Employment and Tourism, several other Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, and senior Government officials.

In addition to political meetings, Türk will engage with religious leaders, civil society representatives, members of the diplomatic community, and the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka to assess the country’s human rights landscape and ongoing reconciliation efforts.

As part of his visit, Türk will travel to Kandy, a culturally and spiritually significant city, where he is expected to pay respects at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, one of Sri Lanka’s most revered Buddhist sites. He will also meet with the Chief Prelates of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters.

The visit comes at a crucial time as Sri Lanka continues to grapple with the aftermath of economic and political upheaval, along with calls from both domestic and international observers for greater progress on human rights, transitional justice, and inclusive governance.

This visit is widely seen as a signal of renewed UN engagement with Sri Lanka’s human rights journey and a step toward strengthening dialogue between the government and the international community.