The Parliamentary Forum for Persons with Disabilities met in Parliament under the chairmanship of Member of Parliament Sugath Wasantha de Silva to discuss drafting a new bill to replace the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act No. 28 of 1996.
Chairman de Silva stated that replacing the 1996 Act has been discussed for 30 years. He noted that although Sri Lanka ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) in 2016, domestic legislation has not yet been aligned with the convention. He added that despite Cabinet decisions taken since 2016, discrepancies emerged between the original intent and current draft versions, requiring resolution through stakeholder discussions.
Ministry officials explained that a model bill containing feedback from a sub-committee of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities was sent to the Legal Draftsman’s Department. The department revised the text and submitted it back to the Ministry, which is currently obtaining observations from the National Council.
Participants discussed advancing the legislative process while considering prior observations from the Attorney General’s Department, recommendations from the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, and the need for an independent monitoring mechanism compliant with the UN CRPD.
Representatives of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities urged that policy formulation adhere to the principle “Nothing About Us Without Us” through direct community participation. Key legal provisions discussed included establishing equal working conditions and remuneration, providing suitable employment opportunities and reasonable workplace accommodations, and strengthening regulations regarding public sector employment quotas for persons with disabilities.
Attending institutions emphasized the need for quick consensus to establish a legal framework aligning with current socio-economic realities and international standards.
The meeting was attended by Forum Co-Deputy Chairman Dr. Pathmanathan Sathiyalingam, Members of Parliament Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe, Attorney-at-Law Susantha Dodawatta, and Padmasiri Bandara, along with officials from the Ministry of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment, the Legal Draftsman’s Department, the Attorney General’s Department and the National Council’s drafting sub-committee. (Newswire)