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SL’s first-ever National Action Plan on WPS presented

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Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka – Mr. Mizukoshi Hideaki, and the Head of UN Women in Sri Lanka – Ramaaya Salgado presented Sri Lanka’s first-ever National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) to State Minister of Women and Child Affairs – Geetha Samanmalee Kumarasinghe.

The Action plan was presented on Dec. 06.

“This action plan provides a clear roadmap to provide targeted support for women who have been affected by conflict and crises. Its adoption is a critical step forward in ensuring that no woman or girl is left behind in recovery efforts”, said Hon. Geetha Samanmalee Kumarasinghe, State Minister of Women and Child Affairs.

As the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security goes into its twenty second year, its reach – both globally and regionally – has grown significantly, with an increasing number of countries formulating and implementing National Action Plans developed in consultation with G7 countries’ representatives in Sri Lanka including Japan, women’s groups and civil society.

With its own National Action Plan now ready for Cabinet adoption, Sri Lanka stands poised to join the number of states committed to implement the Women, Peace and Security Agenda which calls for greater participation of women in peacebuilding and recovery efforts.

Emphasizing this, Ramaaya Salgado, Head of Office at UN Women Sri Lanka noted, “peace and development can only be sustainable when women have an equal seat at the table and when their voices are included in decisions that affect their lives”.

The National Action Plan is based on consultations in each of the 25 districts with women who were directly and indirectly affected by conflict, local government officials, and representatives from civil society and local activists. It was developed with technical support from UN Women as part of a 3-year joint partnership between the Government of Japan, the Government of Sri Lanka and UN Women on the ‘Implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Sri Lanka’ funded by the Government of Japan.

Mr. Mizukoshi Hideaki emphasized; “the Government of Japan encourages the timely adoption of this National Action Plan by the Cabinet and hopes its implementation to ensure practical measures for protection and empowerment of women in Sri Lanka”.

The adoption of the National Action Plan will provide a key framework to address issues affecting women and girls in Sri Lanka, as it is very much relevant to how Sri Lanka adapts and responds to the crisis and its challenges.

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CID takes over probe into Sabaragamuwa University ragging incident

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The investigations into the ragging incident at the Sabaragamuwa University have been handed over to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

 Some students of the Faculty of Technology at the University of Sabaragamuwa had lodged a complaint with the Samanalawewa police station on April 29, 2025 over a ragging incident.

Accordingly, the police recorded statements from 20 students who were subjected to ragging yesterday.

Further investigations into the complaint were handed over to the CID today following the instructions of the Acting IGP, Police said.

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President flags national security risk in Starlink deal

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There is a weakness in the initial agreement we made with Starlink, as it does not grant us access to its data systems in the event of a national security issue, unlike the arrangements we have with existing telecom providers in Sri Lanka, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said.

He made these remarks while participating in a television programme last night.

He explained that the government was able to uncover several security threats—such as the Arugam Bay incident and the recent court shooting—because it has access to local telecommunications systems, under legal permissions granted to existing providers.

However, he pointed out that the government does not have access to Starlink’s data systems, as such provisions were not included in the initial agreement.

“This poses a direct threat to national security. There isn’t even a designated person to take responsibility, and we have no legal grounds to access the system,” he said.

He added that the government had raised this concern with Starlink, and in response, the company has agreed to provide a dashboard to access certain data.

“But we still don’t clearly understand the extent of access this dashboard will provide,” he said.

As a precaution, the government has allowed the release of equipment necessary to build the dashboard.

“Once it is operational, we will be able to assess how much access to data we actually have,” he concluded.

(dailymirror.lk)

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

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President begins historic state visit to Vietnam

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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake departed for Vietnam a short while ago, commencing his official state visit to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, according to the President’s Media Division (PMD). 

At the invitation of the President of Vietnam, Luong Cuong, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is undertaking a state visit to Vietnam from May 4 to 6. 

This visit marks the celebration of 55 years of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Vietnam and is expected to further strengthen the long-standing bilateral ties between the two nations.

During the visit, President Dissanayake will hold official discussions with the President and Prime Minister of Vietnam. He is also scheduled to meet with senior dignitaries, including the General Secretary of the Communist Party.

President Dissanayake will also participate as the chief guest at the United Nations Day of Vesak celebrations, scheduled to commence on May 6 in Ho Chi Minh City, where he will deliver the keynote address.

Several Memoranda of Understanding and Agreements are expected to be signed during the visit and discussions will be held with the Vietnamese business community to explore avenues for enhanced cooperation.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, along with a delegation of senior government officials, are accompanying President Dissanayake on this official visit.

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