Govt must ensure human rights are central in its response to economic crisis: Amnesty

Responding to media reports that the government is currently in conversations with a range of lenders regarding its debt obligations and announcement of austerity measures amidst a serious economic crisis, Thyagi Ruwanpathirana, Amnesty International’s South Asia Regional Researcher said that Amnesty International is particularly concerned that the government’s response to the crisis may result in a further erosion of economic and social rights.

"We would like to use this opportunity to remind the government of its human rights obligations. Sri Lanka has ratified a number of treaties, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural rights, under which the government must respect, protect and fulfil all persons’ economic and social rights. These apply even during times of economic crisis.” according to a statement issued by the human rights advocacy agency.

“The Government of Sri Lanka must ensure that discussions with lenders include the urgency to put in place adequate social security measures to protect people from the negative impacts of the economic crisis. It must develop a mechanism for consultation where the people can effectively participate in and contribute to discussions about budgets and public expenditure. The government must also ensure that any austerity measures introduced are temporary, legitimate, necessary, reasonable, proportionate and subject to meaningful review and accountability procedures.”

“Lastly, the authorities must ensure that any future commitments around Sri Lanka’s debt, including around future debt servicing obligations, must not undermine the government’s ability to fulfil its human rights obligations”