UN expert on debt and human rights to visit Sri Lanka next week

Geneva: United Nations Foreign Debt and Human Rights Independent Expert Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky will conduct an official visit to Sri Lanka from 3 to 11 September at the invitation of the Sri Lankan Government, the UN Human Rights Council announced.

“My visit aims at collecting first-hand information and examining questions related to debt and other financial obligations from a human rights standpoint,” said Bohoslavsky.

The UN official said the purpose of the mission is to identify good practices, challenges and potential gaps to be addressed.

“An important objective of my visit is to study the effects of public debt and related polices on the full enjoyment of human rights.”

“I am particularly interested in understanding how human rights standards are integrated in economic policies, and examining ongoing reforms and programs aimed at inclusive growth. I would like to grasp how these measures translate in potential improvements and challenges for the realisation of economic, social and cultural rights.”

During his visit, the Independent Expert will pay specific attention to the incorporation of human rights standards in international development financing, microfinance, and efforts deployed to prevent and combat illicit financial flows in the country.

“I look forward to engaging with the authorities of Sri Lanka, civil society, academics, the international community, and other relevant stakeholders,” Bohoslavsky said.

The Independent Expert will hold a news conference in Colombo on 11 September at 11.00 a.m.  He will submit a comprehensive report about his visit to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2019.