Dayan Jayathilleka elected Chairman IGWG 
[Wednesday, January 23, 2008 - 07.25 GMT] 

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations at Geneva, Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka was elected by unanimous acclamation as the Chairperson of the Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the Sri Lankan Mission in UN said in a statement on Monday (January 21). 

Ambassador Jayatilleka’s candidature was presented by the Asian Group, on the initiative of the African Group and supported by the Latin American Group (GRULAC). 

China introduced the nomination, which was seconded by Egypt on behalf of the African Group.  

The Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/68, created the IGWG to follow up on the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, held in South Africa in 2001. The mandate of the IGWG is to: “(a) Make recommendations with a view to the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action; (b) Prepare complementary international standards to strengthen and update international instruments against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in all their aspects.”