European Union Observation Mission distributes equipment to Sri Lankan civil society

On its way to concluding the EU EOM to Sri Lanka which witnessed a well administered 2015 Parliamentary elections, the EU EOM on 3 September distributed a wide variety of equipment to Sri Lankan civil society members. Accepting that civil society must be able to relay and receive information in an effective manner, not only during emergency operations but also in their day to day tasks, a diverse range of members were selected as recipients. These include organisations such as Women in Need, Centre for Human Rights and Development Studies, Mothers and Daughters of Lanka, Home for Human Rights, Women’s Political Academy, Right to Life Human Rights Centre, Rights Now and INFORM among others.   

The distribution worth Euro 108.000 (Rs. 16 million) included more than 50 laptops, 15 tablets, 75 phones and other office equipment. Speaking on the occasion, Libuse Soukupova Head of Development Cooperation of the European Union Delegation to Sri Lanka and the Maldives said, “The support that the European Union has provided to Sri Lanka in the context of elections has been manifold; from giving financial assistance of Euro 1.2 million for voter registration and domestic election observation, to sending international election observers and now finally to supporting distribution of equipment to civil society. The EU truly remains committed to supporting a healthy democracy and looks forward to partnering with the Sri Lankan Government to address some of the challenges it faces.”