Mr President,

We reiterate the broad range of human rights issues in Sri Lanka highlighted by the High Commissioner, and raise concerns about the government’s failure to adopt a health and human rights-based approach to drug control and treatment. It is instead continuing some practices of previous governments that violate human rights.

We draw your attention to the use of the military in drug control operations, laws that allow compulsory drug treatment, the imprisonment of drug users resulting in prison overcrowding, deaths in custody of persons arrested for drug offences, the existence of the death penalty for drug offences, and statements by government officials that they are exploring the implementation of the death penalty.

Mr President,

We urge the government of Sri Lanka to adopt a human rights and health-centred approach to drug laws and policies, which requires substantive legal, policy and practice reforms based on consultations with experts and affected persons.

We call upon the Office of the High Commissioner to conduct due diligence to ensure that the engagement of all UN agencies on this issue is in accordance with human rights principles. We also urge the High Commissioner to reiterate to donors who support programmes in Sri Lanka to abide by the ‘do no harm principle’ and adhere to human rights standards.

Thank you.