In a groundbreaking move for child protection in Sri Lanka, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has officially launched a dedicated Child Rights Unit, marking the first time children are being formally recognized as rights holders on par with adults.
This historic step is being widely hailed as a major victory for child rights advocacy and a milestone in the country’s human rights journey.
The new unit will focus on three core functions: monitoring, data gathering, and the establishment of a child-centered investigation system.
Speaking at the launch, HRCSL Commissioner Dr. Gehan Gunatilleke elaborated on the Unit’s objectives,
“We have just set up a new child rights unit. This unit is responsible for monitoring all the inquiries and investigations that pertain to children. Second, this unit will also gather data on something that was missing in our framework. I think I must thank Dr. Tush also for pushing us in the right direction in this sense to begin to clearly gather data and understand what is happening in terms of inquiries. And from 2024 onwards, we are gathering data in a more systematic way. and number three we have initiated a process. In fact, it was only yesterday that I was with the group that was developing this. We are initiating a process to develop and launch a new set of standard operating procedures for child-centered inquiries.”
The establishment of this unit comes amid growing calls from civil society and rights groups for stronger institutional mechanisms to safeguard children’s rights in Sri Lanka. The HRCSL’s move is expected to pave the way for more responsive and accountable handling of child-related human rights cases in the future.