Declarations recognizing the competence of the Human Rights Committee under article 41 46
(Unless otherwise indicated, the declarations were made
upon ratification, accession or succession.)
Sri Lanka

       "The Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka declares under article 41 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that it recognizes the competence of the Human Rights Committee to receive and consider communications to the effect that a State Party claims that another State Party is not fulfilling its obligations under the Covenant, from another State Party which has similarly declared under article 41 its recognition of the Committee's competence in respect to itself."
Notifications under Article 4 (3) of the Covenant (Derogations)
(Taking into account the important number of these declarations, and in order not to increase excessively the number of pages of the present publication, the text of the notifications has in some cases, exceptionally, been abridged. Unless otherwise indicated, when the notification concerns an extension, the said extension affects those articles of the Covenant originally derogated from, and was decided for the same reasons. The date on the right hand, above the notification, is the date of receipt.)
Sri Lanka

21 May 1984


       Proclamation of state of emergency throughout Sri Lanka, and derogation as a consequence from articles 9 (3) and 14 (3) (b) of the Covenant as from 18 May 1983.

23 May 1984


       The Government of Sri Lanka specified that the Emergency regulations and Special Laws were temporary measures necessitated by the existence of an extraordinary security situation and that it was not intended to continue with them longer than it was absolutely necessary.

16 January 1989


       (Dated 13 January 1989)

       Termination of the state of emergency as from 11 January 1989.

29 August 1989


       (Dated 18 August 1989)

       Establishment of the state of emergency for a period of 30 days as from 20 June 1989 and derogation from provisions of article 9 (2).

       The notification specifies that the state of emergency was declared in view of the progressive escalation of violence, acts of sabotage and the disruption of essential services throughout the country as from the termination of the state of emergency on 11 January 1989  (see previous notification of 16 January 1989) .

4 October 1994


       (Dated 29 September 1994)

       Lifting of the state of emergency established on 20 June 1989 and notified by notification of 18 August 1989, as from 4 September 1994, except with regard to the Northern and Eastern Provinces and certain areas which border the above two Provinces specifically designated in the Presidential Proclamation dated 1 September 1994.

30 May 2000


       (Dated 30 May 2000)

       Declaration of a State of emergency in Sri Lanka

       Derogation from articles 9 (2), 9 (3), 12 (1), 12 (2), 14 (3), 17 (1), 19 (2), 21 and 22.

9 June 2010


       “On 2nd May 2010 His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka promulgated the Emergency Regulations under Section 5 of the Public Security Ordinance (PSO).  The Emergency Regulations have been officially proclaimed by the Gazette Extraordinary No. 1651/24 dated 2nd May 2010.  The new proclamation amends and repeals a number of Emergency Regulations that have been in operation since their publication in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 1405/14 of 13th August 2005 as amended from time to time.

       The Emergency Regulations prior to the recent amendments were promulgated in August 2005 immediately after the assassination of the former Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar.  These Regulations were amended from time to time and continued due to the conflict situation which prevailed in certain areas of the island.  As a result of the successful security operations launched by the Government of Sri Lanka, this situation ended in mid May 2009, with the elimination of the menace of terrorism posed by the ruthless organization styling itself the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).  However, there does remain a need for vigilance to ensure the complete recovery of arms caches secreted by the LTTE and the reintegration back into society of LTTE cadres, after successfully completing programmes of rehabilitation and of vocational training.  Moreover, Sri Lanka requires to be alert against attempts by residues of the LTTE operating overseas to channel funds for de-stabilization and to try to re-kindle the embers of secession through endeavours such as the Provisional Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam.  It is in this context that the Government of Sri Lanka decided to further significantly scale down the Emergency Regulations, while keeping in force only a limited number essential for national security.

       The recent amendments to the Emergency Regulations that have come into effect from 2nd May 2010 are in keeping with the consistent commitment of  towards the promotion of human rights and the maintenance of strong judicial safeguards.  It is in this context that the Government of  at the outset wishes to enumerate the terminations of derogations of the following ICCPR articles [: 9 (2), 12, 14 (3), 17 (1), 19 (2), 21 and 22 (1)] ... "

On 19 November 2015


       In reference to previous notifications submitted by the Government of  under Article 4 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, as the Depositary of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) made on 9th June 2010 and 30th May 2000 respectively:

       “The Government of Sri Lanka is pleased to notify His Excellency the Secretary General that the Emergency Regulations that have been promulgated under the Public Security Ordinance have been allowed to lapse since August 2011. The Emergency Regulations were promulgated in August 2005 by means of a Presidential Proclamation pursuant to Section 05 of the Public Security Ordinance. Due to the conflict situation which then prevailed in the country, the Regulations were amended from time to time and were allowed to continue in force. In view of the end of the conflict in 2009 and in keeping with Sri Lanka’s commitments towards protection and promotion of human rights, the emergency regulations have been allowed to lapse since August 2011.

       The Government of Sri Lanka therefore wishes to notify the Secretary-General of the termination of all derogations previously notified under the ICCPR, pursuant to the lapse of the Emergency Regulations in August 2011.”

       This communication is being made pursuant to Sri Lanka’s obligations under Article 4 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which stipulate the obligations of the State Parties to notify the derogation as well as the termination of such derogations."