The decision by the Cabinet of Ministers to approve the national reconciliation policy is historic given that this is the first-ever National Reconciliation Policy to have adopted by Sri Lanka, a press release issued by the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) said yesterday.
President Maithripala Sirisena on May 2, 2017 submitted the National Reconciliation Policy drafted by Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR), Chaired by Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, for approval by the Cabinet of Ministers.
The process of formulating a National Policy on Reconciliation began in September 2015, followed by a series of stakeholder consultations and multiple briefings to related Ministries, under the guidance of former president Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Chairperson of ONUR.
In September 2016, after a one-year consultation process with multiple stakeholders including the Ministry of National Integration and Reconciliation, Secretariat for Coordinating Reconciliation Mechanisms, Ministries of Justice, Education, Women’s Affairs, National Dialogue, Coexistence and Official Languages, other ministries, departments, senior provincial council officials, academics and civil society representatives including youth, women and grass-root activists.
To ensure continuity of State initiatives, the policy also draws on findings of previous national initiatives including the LLRC Report, Udalagama Commission, Paranagama Commission Reports and others.
The National Reconciliation Policy includes an Implementation Strategy which would mainstream the values defined in the Policy, within government institutions and existing national initiatives through annual work plans; a National Program and Action Plan for Reconciliation; and public awareness and education campaigns on the Policy, Programs and Action Plans on Reconciliation to ensure a coordinated effort from all stakeholders by using the Policy as a guiding framework.
President Maithripala Sirisena, in his accompanying note to the Cabinet in 2016 September, stated that the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) chaired by former president Chandrika Kumaratunga had drafted the National Policy in a “manner that reflects that reconciliation is a whole-of-government effort and a multi-stakeholder endeavour.”
Following further discussions and revisions, the final draft of National Reconciliation Policy was presented to the Cabinet by President Sirisena last week, with the endorsement of Minister of National Dialogue, Coexistence and Official Languages, Mano Ganeshan.
The National Reconciliation Policy declares that it will “serve as the State policy on reconciliation” and “provide direction to the process of national reconciliation in Sri Lanka.” Further, it says that it will “provide a guiding framework to all stakeholders working on reconciliation in order to achieve coherence in reconciliation initiatives.”