Sri Lanka has taken measures to ensure the Sri Lankan peacekeepers are well trained and equipped to maintain peace in conflict situations while upholding human rights, the United Nations Security Council was told.

Delivering a written statement at the UN Security Council high-level open debate on “Peace Operations and Human Rights”, Sri Lanka said it remains fully committed to UN Peacekeeping and upholding human rights, and in this context has taken a number of measures to ensure that all Sri Lankan Peacekeepers are suitably trained and fully equipped with theoretical knowledge and practical application of all necessary functions of peacekeeping, including the promotion and protection of human rights.

The Statement added that towards this end, a comprehensive package of education and training on relevant subjects are included in the pre-deployment training courses and continuity is maintained during the deployment by way of in-mission training, conducted in consultation with UN authorities.

In addition, human rights has been included as part of the training of security forces and police in Sri Lanka.

At the premier degree awarding tertiary institution established for military personnel, the Kotelawala Defense University, where many military cadets pursue degree programs, human rights is taught as an important component of the academic program.

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka and the ICRC also conduct a number of training programs for the Military and the Police on human rights and international humanitarian law.

“Having engaged in a humanitarian struggle with a terrorist organization that used human shields, suicide bombers and child soldiers, Sri Lanka’s armed forces and Police have been sharing expertise in handling difficult and complex terrains of the humanitarian engagement field in difficult areas of the world,” Sri Lanka said.

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