http://www.dailynews.lk/2012/10/04/news01.asp

UN Chief welcomes developments in Lanka

Ban appreciates Lanka’s willingness to engage with UN:

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon appreciated the willingness on the part of the Sri Lankan government to engage with the UN system as demonstrated by the invitation to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the recent visit of the technical team from her office.

He said so during a meeting with External Affairs Minister Professor G L Peiris in New York on Tuesday and added it would be a positive step for such engagement to continue at a senior working level to be updated on developments in Sri Lanka.

The Secretary General welcomed the positive developments in Sri Lanka, including the complete resettlement of internally displaced persons and the closure of the resettlement village at Menik Farm, holding Provincial Council elections in the Eastern Province, steps taken to reach out to civil society and the action plan to implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission.

He said mutual understanding and continued cooperation would assist Sri Lanka to benefit from UN expertise.

Moon also briefed the minister on the change management reforms of the UN including the mobility of the Organisation’s staff.

He said the UN will also seek to strengthen partnership with member states, by forging relations with the business community, philanthropists, religious leaders and civil society through a formalised mechanism.

Minister Peiris outlined the significant measures undertaken by the government to bring about reconciliation including rehabilitation of ex- combatants, complete resettlement of IDPs, ongoing de-militarisation of the Northern Province with reduction in the number of military personnel by 50 percent as well as the type of functions handled by the military, the holding of Provincial Council elections and the efforts to bring all political parties together through the Parliamentary Select Committee consultation process.

He said the preparations for the Universal Periodic Review in November 2012 commenced with all relevant agencies coordinating their efforts towards this end.

Noting that the climate in the country was now conducive to trade and investment, Minister Peiris said the Commonwealth Business Forum would be held in Sri Lanka in 2013

on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). He briefed the Secretary General on Sri Lanka's hosting of this international event.

Responding to the Secretary General regarding youth employment, Minister Peiris said the entry of foreign companies and hotel chains to Sri Lanka as well as vigorous activity by its own private sector after the eradication of terrorism, had opened many opportunities for employment for the youth.He said Sri Lanka laid much focus on the social mobility of youth and that the World Youth Conference would be held in Sri Lanka in 2014.

Minister Peiris had separate meetings with Chef de Cabinet and UN Under-Secretary-General Susana Malcorra and Undersecretary General, Department of Political Affairs of the UN Jeffrey Feltman.