From December 5th to December 6th, 2024, a workshop introducing the new draft Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) developed by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka was held in Colombo.
The thirty-five participants included officers from the headquarters of the commission in Colombo and regional offices from different districts of the country. This workshop, the first in a series of three, focused on introducing and receiving feedback for the draft SOP on one of HRCSL’s key mandates: handling complaints, which constitutes a substantial part of the daily work of the commission staff.
The workshop began by exploring the rationale for adopting the SOPs and how they could enhance the efficiency of the commission’s work. It examined the practical benefits and potential challenges of adopting SOPs in an institution like the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka.
Participants then delved into the details of the SOPs, with ample opportunity to engage with and provide feedback on the new procedures. Dr Gehan Gunatilleke, a Commissioner and a Senior Officer from the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, introduced and discussed the SOP on Complaints, covering the process from receiving a complaint to enforcing recommendations. These sessions were followed by group discussions and feedback on the relevant portions of the SOP. Significant engagement from the participants enriched the discussion and ensured the SOPs were practical and applicable to their daily tasks. Key insights were also shared by Justice L.T.B. Dehideniya, Chairperson, and Prof Fathima Farzana Haniffa, Commissioner of the Commission.
Another session covered key principles from international human rights law and related jurisprudence, such as dignity, equality, and non-discrimination, which have informed the draft SOP. The workshop also drew on comparative experiences, with an officer from the Kenya Human Rights Commission sharing their procedures for handling complaints, the specific challenges they have addressed, and their process for reviewing and updating such procedures. Participants applied the new SOPs to hypothetical scenarios, exploring how they would adapt to different regional contexts and circumstances. Experiences from this exercise informed further discussion on the SOPs.
The workshop equipped the staff of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka with the knowledge and skills to effectively implement the new SOPs and, at the same time, gathered valuable feedback from them to refine and improve the procedures. Ultimately, this initiative aims to enhance the commission’s ability to handle complaints efficiently and justly.
This workshop is the first of a series of three to be delivered to the staff of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka under the German Federal Foreign Office-funded project ‘Consolidating the Rule of Law in Sri Lanka: Strengthening the Resilience of Democratic Institutions to Promote Stability in the Face of Crises.’