This three-day training marked the start of activities between the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) and the Foundation under the project ‘Supporting Institution-Building to Stabilise Democracy and Strengthen the Rule of Law in Sri Lanka ’.
Sri Lanka is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change and has, particularly in recent years, suffered from extreme weather events. The HRCSL requested training on the topic of climate change and human rights. This training was held from 15 to 17 October 2026.
Approximately 25 HRCSL staff from across Sri Lanka convened in Colombo to learn about linkages between climate change and human rights. The training included presentations introducing participants to the science of climate change and to both the international and national frameworks. This included how climate change fits within human rights systems and the importance of protecting the rights of affected groups, including vulnerable and marginalised communities, in climate action.
The training also discussed the role national human rights institutions can play regarding climate change. It was a privilege to hear from the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines about the national inquiry it undertook into the impact of climate change on the human rights of Filipinos.
On the final day of the training participants were given an exercise that outlined a scenario of a weather event caused by climate change and its impact on different areas and people of the fictional country. The participants’ group presentation illustrated their grasp of the many human rights impacted by climate change and demonstrated both their commitment and expertise in responding to human rights impacted by climate change.
Justice Dehideniya, the outgoing Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission, thanked the Foundation for a timely training course and for its years of support of HRCSL highlighting the support given through the drafting adoption of standard operating procedures and capacity building trainings for staff.