Mr. Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, held a meeting with Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, at the Prime Minister’s Office on 23 June.

Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya welcomed the High Commissioner and reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to working constructively with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). She noted that the recent political transition marks a significant shift in Sri Lanka’s political culture, rooted in a historic mandate received from all communities.

The Prime Minister outlined the Government’s focus on three key pillars: alleviating rural poverty, advancing digitalization, and pursuing legal and political reforms alongside the necessary social transformation and institutional changes. She reiterated the Government’s commitment to protecting and promoting the full spectrum of human rights, including social, educational, health, and economic rights, and emphasized that reconciliation remains a priority, supported by strengthening domestic mechanisms such as the Office for Missing Persons (OMP), the Office for Reparations (OR), and the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR).

High Commissioner Volker Türk expressed appreciation for Sri Lanka’s continued engagement and reaffirmed the importance of collaboration in advancing human rights, democratic governance, and national reconciliation.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Marc-André Franche, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka, and other officials from the United Nations. The Sri Lankan delegation included Mr. Pradeep Saputhanthri, Secretary to the Prime Minister; Ms. Aruni Ranaraja, Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment & Tourism; and senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

(Prime Minister’s Media Division)

Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Health and Mass Media – N.A.K.L.Wijenayake has stated that all arrangements have been finalized for the Sri Lanka Broadcasters’ Symposium 2025, which will be held in Colombo tomorrow (June 25).

Speaking at a media briefing at the Government Information Department yesterday (June 23), Wijenayake said the symposium, organized by the Broadcasters’ Guild of Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Ministry of Mass Media, will focus on the challenges and opportunities of broadcasting in a rapidly digitalising world.

The event also aims to position Sri Lanka as a future hub for electronic broadcasting.

Topics including the future of the industry over the next 05 years, current challenges, and copyright issues will be discussed during multiple sessions, with participation from foreign observers.

Director General of Government Information – H.S.K.J. Bandara, Guild President – Asanga Jayasuriya, Secretary – Laksiri Withanage, media analyst and consultant – Nalaka Gunawardena, and other officials were present at the briefing.

Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) has filed legal action in the Supreme Court challenging the Bill to amend the Companies Act No. 07 of 2007.

The petition was filed in the public interest on 19 June.

The Amendment introduces a critical anti-corruption tool – a Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) register.

TISL contends that beneficial ownership of a company is a national security imperative, in as much as anonymous or opaque corporate structures are frequently used for transnational illicit financial flows, funding of organised crime and terrorism, fronts for foreign influence operations, and laundering proceeds of crime. A BOI register ensures that companies disclose the individuals who ultimately own or control them, thereby exposing hidden ownership structures that facilitate corruption, money-laundering, illicit financial flows, conflicts of interest, and tax evasion. This reform has been a longstanding demand of TISL and is central to Sri Lanka’s post-crisis governance agenda, which aims to restore public trust and economic stability.

Despite the importance of this, the draft Bill falls short of establishing an effective and transparent BOI register. Clause 7 of the Bill, which adds Sections 130A-130J on BOI, restricts public access to meaningful information.

• Section 130A(6) merely obliges the Registrar to maintain a list, without mandating proactive digital publication or integration with other State databases.
• Section 130D limits public access to only the full name and nature of ownership – and even that is released solely on an individual, upon-request basis.

TISL said this structure locks vital BOI behind cumbersome procedures, delays access, and deprives investigators, journalists, and the public of timely data. The limited information required to be disclosed at the outset is insufficient for the meaningful identification of hidden assets, conflicts of interest, and other potential unlawful activity.

The Government has officially pledged – in the Governance Action Plan 2025 and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) National Anti-Corruption Action Plan 2025-2029 – to establish a publicly accessible online BOI register. By opting instead for a request-driven, partial-information model, the Bill contradicts those commitments and weakens Sri Lanka’s credibility. Ineffective access also conflicts with international standards, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Governance Diagnostic Assessment (2023), both of which call for open, verifiable BOI registers. It prevents Obliged Entities such as banks, law firms, accountants, auditors, real-estate agents, etc. access to vital information to enhance anti-money laundering efforts.

TISL said time is critical in asset recovery, fraud detection, and the prevention of asset dissipation. Watchdogs, journalists, and authorities must be able to trace, flag, and freeze assets swiftly. While the incorporation of the Right to Information framework is recognised, the proactive disclosure of key information at the outset, while being mindful of data protection and privacy laws, is essential to enable timely detection of illegal activity.

The petition requests the Supreme Court to determine that Clause 7 of the Bill is inconsistent with and/or violates Article 12(1) and Article 14A of the Constitution that enshrines the Right to Equal Protection of the Law and Right of Access to Information.

(ft.lk)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by ft.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)