Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera met with Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland at Marlborough House on Friday, where discussions on mutual areas of interest took place.
The Foreign Affairs Minister expressed hope that the Commonwealth would continue to fight for the values that have strengthened Sri Lanka in recent times - human rights, rule of law and democracy.
Sri Lanka is currently reviewing a new Constitution to replace the existing 1978 one, and Secretary-General Scotland said the Commonwealth was “delighted to give technical assistance to the constitutional realignment to Sri Lanka - particularly to make sure minorities feel represented.”
Samaraweera also appraised her of Sri Lanka’s plans to establish a ‘Truth and Reconciliation Commission’ to look into the accountability and reparations of events that took place during the country’s civil war.
The Secretary-General spoke of plans to open a Commonwealth Office of Civil and Criminal Justice Reform to provide all 52-member countries with legal support services and a platform to share ideas and experiences.
She also spoke of establishing a Commonwealth Institute for Digital Health in Colombo – a project that will move forward the commitments of the Colombo Declaration, launched in October last year, to improve health across the Commonwealth.
“We have so much in common, so much that binds us together. We have people from nearly all regions of world. We have a third of the world’s population. Together we are so much stronger. We have the opportunity to lead the world on tackling climate change, and on achieving the SDGs,” the Commonwealth Secretary-General said.
The Secretary-General also invited Sri Lanka to take part in upcoming Commonwealth initiatives, including activities in the month of March to end violence against women, and a Commonwealth cricket club to teach young people about health, teamwork and math.