IANS
Commonwealth secretary general Kamalesh Sharma, who is currently on an official visit to Sri Lanka, toured the Northern Province yesterday.
A discussion was held between the Commonwealth secretary general and Northern Province Governor G A Chandrasiri.
The primary focus of this discussion was development projects that have been implemented in the Northern Province. Subsequently, Sharma also held discussions with representatives of human rights groups and civil society.
Sharma will also meet other members of the government, including Minister of External Affairs G L Peiris and Parliament Speaker Chamal Rajapakse, and other political leaders.
During his five-day visit, the secretary general will also review the implementation of various initiatives being undertaken as part of his Good Offices work to support Sri Lanka’s national development and post-conflict plans, and will take the opportunity to meet with the chairperson and commissioners of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, the commissioner of elections and representatives of civil society organisations.
The Commonwealth Heads of Government held their biennial meeting in Colombo from November 15 to 17, 2013, where they agreed a set of mandates for implementation by the Commonwealth Secretariat. These included a collective Commonwealth Leaders’ Statement on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, strengthened collaboration between the Commonwealth and the G20, the development of a climate finance skills hub and a proposal for a trade finance facility for small states.
The Commonwealth secretary general will conclude his visit to Sri Lanka on Wednesday