The Secretariat will hold the following responsibilities;
- Coordination of national level discourses on reconciliation mechanisms
- Development of a plan with specific dates to establish reconciliation mechanisms such as ‘Office on Missing Persons’ and ‘Truth, Reconciliation and Prevention of Conflicts Commission’.
- Coordination with local institutions such as Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission and international institutes such as the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR).
- Follow-up of the progress and coordination of implementing recommendations stipulated in Commission Reports including LLRC and the Report of the OHCHR.
- Coordination of other requirements related to strengthening the rule of law, human rights and administrative and judicial reforms.
Sri Lanka could not successfully use the most valuable opportunity gained through reconciliation and lasting peace, due to various reasons. It has now become an essential and immediate need to build reconciliation among the nation. Although the public institutions including Ministries are engaged in this process, due to the absence of a centralized institution in coordinating this process they have encountered some practical issues such as delays and duplication of tasks.
Therefore, the Cabinet has granted approval to establish a Secretariat for Coordinating the Reconciliation Mechanisms as proposed by the Prime Minister.