British Minister for UN to visit SL

British Minister for the UN and Commonwealth, Baroness Anelay will undertake her first official visit to Sri Lanka from November 6 to 9, the British High Commission in Colombo announced yesterday.

It said the minister will reiterate Britain’s commitment to support Sri Lanka in strengthening democracy and human rights (including tackling gender based and sexual violence), delivering reconciliation and combating corruption during her visit to the country.

The Minister is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan.

In Jaffna, Baroness Anelay will meet Northern Province Governor Reginald Cooray and Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran. The Minister will also meet recent returnees to land cleared of mines by British demining charity The HALO Trust.

While in Colombo, Baroness Anelay will meet with members of civil society to discuss reconciliation and human rights.

As the British Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, the Minister will also raise awareness of the need to tackle the stigmatisation of sexual violence and will meet with civil society organisations working on preventing sexual violence. Baroness Anelay will highlight the importance of female participation in the reconciliation process and the need for comprehensive strategies for tackling sexual and genderbased violence.