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The
Government
is to
create a
new
forum to
discuss
IDP
protection
issues.
The
forum
includes
key
stakeholders
such as
senior
public
officers,
key
focal
points
in the
UN
system
and
representatives
of the
international
and
local
Non-Governmental
Organizations
engaged
in
providing
protection
to IDPs.
Speaking
to
relevant
parties
at a
recent
meeting,
Disaster
Management
and
Human
Rights
Minister
Mahinda
Samarasinghe
said it
was his
intention
to
create
forums
in
Colombo
and
Vavuniya
where
protection
issues
can be
discussed
and
consensual
decisions
taken.
”When
protection
agencies
seek to
highlight
these
issues
in the
media in
the
first
instance,
the
outcome
will be
a
contest
of words
and a
not a
partnership
that
works on
behalf
of
Internally
Displaced
Persons,”
he
added.
He
also
added
that
regular
coordination
meetings
would be
held at
which
progress
could be
monitored
jointly
by the
Government
and its
partners.
The
UN’s
Resident
Coordinator
and
Humanitarian
Coordinator
Neil
Buhne
and
Representative
of the
UNHCR in
Sri
Lanka
Amin
Awad
welcomed
the
Government’s
initiative.
Secretary
to the
Ministry
of
Justice
and Law
cum
Commissioner-General
for
Rehabilitation
Suhada
Gamlath,
Country
Representative
of
UNICEF
Philippe
Duamelle,
Additional
Secretary
to the
Ministry
of
Social
Services
and
Social
Welfare,
Sunil
Samaraweera,
Director-General(Legal)
of Sri
Lanka
Army
Major
General
Mohanthi
Peiris,
Head of
office
of UN
OCHA
Zola
Dwell,
Secretary
to the
Human
Rights
Commission
of Sri
Lanka
Chandra
Ellawela
and
representatives
of the
Ministry
of
Defence,
Child
Protection
Authority,
Police,
NGO’s,
and
INGO’s
participated
in the
discussion.
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