REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS TO VISIT SRI LANKA

Geneva, 12 December 2007-- The Representative of the Secretary-General on the human rights of internally displaced persons, Mr. Walter Kälin, will visit Sri Lanka at the invitation of the Government from 13 to 21 December 2007.

The Representative will engage with a wide range of interlocutors in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the situation of internal displacement in Sri Lanka and the underpinnings for durable solutions. The Representative intends to spend several days in Colombo, where he will meet with representatives of government, civil society and international organizations. The Representative will also meet with IDPs, members of civil society and government representatives in the west, east and north, including Puttalam, Vavuniya, Trincomalee and Batticaloa.

This diversity of sites, representing different types and phases of displacement, will allow the Representative to gain the fullest possible understanding of prevailing realities. His findings and recommendations will be presented to the Human Rights Council.

Mr. Kälin was appointed to the post of Representative in 2004 at the recommendation of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. In carrying out his mandate, he assesses, every year, the implementation of the human rights of internally displaced persons. Since his appointment, he has carried out several visits and country missions, including most recently to the Central African Republic, Azerbaijan and Côte d’Ivoire.

For more information on the mandate please go to http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/idp/index.htm
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