The earlier Human Rights Action plan was implemented from 2012-2016 and it expires this year. The current proposal has been submitted by Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera.

A statement announcing the Cabinet decisions said, “Government’s policy is to uphold, promote and protect the human rights of Sri Lankan people. Sri Lankan government should provide measures to human rights issues to perform international bonds which have been entered into voluntarily and to strengthen the national reconciliation process, freedom and democracy, and it will also make the background for economic development of the country”.

It added, “As the five year human rights action plan implemented from 2012-2016 expires this year the proposal made by Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera to appoint an Inter-ministerial Committee to consider all facts related to human rights for the preparation of a National Action Plan on Human Rights for 2017-2021, was approved by the Cabinet.