Statement by the Royal Norwegian Government; Sri Lanka Peace Talks
Export agreement coding (PDF)Country/entity
Sri LankaRegion
Asia and PacificAgreement name
Statement by the Royal Norwegian Government; Sri Lanka Peace TalksDate
18 Sep 2002Agreement status
Multiparty signed/agreedInterim arrangement
YesAgreement/conflict level
Intrastate/intrastate conflict ( )Stage
Pre-negotiation/processConflict nature
Government/territoryPeace process
Sri Lanka LTTE 2002 onward processParties
Government of Sri Lanka; Liberation Tigers of Tamil EelamThird parties
Royal Government of NorwayDescription
In the statement, the parties agree to establish a Joint Task Force for Humanitarian and Reconstruction Activities to focus efforts on the north and east.
Groups
- Children/youth
No specific mention.
- Disabled persons
No specific mention.
- Elderly/age
No specific mention.
- Migrant workers
No specific mention.
- Racial/ethnic/national groupGroups→Racial/ethnic/national group→RhetoricalPage 1, Paragraph 5, The parties discussed in depth the urgent need to address the difficult humanitarian situation in the north and east of Sri Lanka. To this effect, the parties agreed to establish a Joint Task Force for Humanitarian and Reconstruction Activities. The Joint Task Force will constitute a partnership between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, and will have responsibility for the identification, financing and monitoring of urgent humanitarian and reconstruction activities in the north and east. The task force will operate with due participation of Muslims and its work will benefit all ethnic communities of the North and East. The details relating to the mandate and structure of the Joint Task Force will rapidly be finalized between the parties with the assistance of the Norwegian facilitators. ...
- Religious groupsGroups→Religious groups→SubstantivePage 1, Paragraph 5, The parties discussed in depth the urgent need to address the difficult humanitarian situation in the north and east of Sri Lanka. To this effect, the parties agreed to establish a Joint Task Force for Humanitarian and Reconstruction Activities. The Joint Task Force will constitute a partnership between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, and will have responsibility for the identification, financing and monitoring of urgent humanitarian and reconstruction activities in the north and east. The task force will operate with due participation of Muslims and its work will benefit all ethnic communities of the North and East. The details relating to the mandate and structure of the Joint Task Force will rapidly be finalized between the parties with the assistance of the Norwegian facilitators. ...
- Indigenous people
No specific mention.
- Other groups
No specific mention.
- Refugees/displaced personsGroups→Refugees/displaced persons→SubstantivePage 1, Paragraph 4, Building on the achievement of the Ceasefire Agreement, the parties agreed to establish promptly a Joint Committee to deal with the issues relating to High Security Zones, with the aim of enabling the return of larger number of displaced persons in their areas of origin, thereby facilitating the restoration of normalcy. This Joint Committee will consist of senior representatives of both sides, including military personnel.
Page 1, Paragraph 5, The two immediate priorities of the parties are
... (2) accelerating resettlement and rehabilitation of internally displaced persons. - Social class
No specific mention.
Gender
- Women, girls and gender
No specific mention.
- Men and boys
No specific mention.
- LGBTI
No specific mention.
- Family
No specific mention.
State definition
- Nature of state (general)
No specific mention.
- State configuration
No specific mention.
- Self determination
No specific mention.
- Referendum
No specific mention.
- State symbols
No specific mention.
- Independence/secession
No specific mention.
- Accession/unification
No specific mention.
- Border delimitation
No specific mention.
- Cross-border provision
No specific mention.
Governance
- Political institutions (new or reformed)
No specific mention.
- Elections
No specific mention.
- Electoral commission
No specific mention.
- Political parties reform
No specific mention.
- Civil society
No specific mention.
- Traditional/religious leaders
No specific mention.
- Public administration
No specific mention.
- Constitution
No specific mention.
Power sharing
- Political power sharingPower sharing→Political power sharing→OtherSub-state levelPage 1, Paragraph 4, Building on the achievement of the Ceasefire Agreement, the parties agreed to establish promptly a Joint Committee to deal with the issues relating to High Security Zones, with the aim of enabling the return of larger number of displaced persons in their areas of origin, thereby facilitating the restoration of normalcy. This Joint Committee will consist of senior representatives of both sides, including military personnel.
Page 1, Paragraph 5, The parties discussed in depth the urgent need to address the difficult humanitarian situation in the north and east of Sri Lanka. To this effect, the parties agreed to establish a Joint Task Force for Humanitarian and Reconstruction Activities. The Joint Task Force will constitute a partnership between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, and will have responsibility for the identification, financing and monitoring of urgent humanitarian and reconstruction activities in the north and east. The task force will operate with due participation of Muslims and its work will benefit all ethnic communities of the North and East. The details relating to the mandate and structure of the Joint Task Force will rapidly be finalized between the parties with the assistance of the Norwegian facilitators. The two immediate priorities of the parties are - Territorial power sharing
No specific mention.
- Economic power sharing
No specific mention.
- Military power sharing
No specific mention.
Human rights and equality
- Human rights/RoL generalPage 1, Paragraph 2, The parties agreed that in their determination to bring the peace process forward, they are responding to the overwhelming call of the peoples of Sri Lanka to bring an end to the ethnic conflict, and create the conditions for lasting peace, prosperity, and respect for human rights.
- Bill of rights/similar
No specific mention.
- Treaty incorporation
No specific mention.
- Civil and political rights
No specific mention.
- Socio-economic rights
No specific mention.
Rights related issues
- Citizenship
No specific mention.
- Democracy
No specific mention.
- Detention procedures
No specific mention.
- Media and communication
No specific mention.
- Mobility/access
No specific mention.
- Protection measures
No specific mention.
- Other
No specific mention.
Rights institutions
- NHRI
No specific mention.
- Regional or international human rights institutions
No specific mention.
Justice sector reform
- Criminal justice and emergency law
No specific mention.
- State of emergency provisions
No specific mention.
- Judiciary and courts
No specific mention.
- Prisons and detention
No specific mention.
- Traditional Laws
No specific mention.
Socio-economic reconstruction
- Development or socio-economic reconstructionSocio-economic reconstruction→Development or socio-economic reconstruction→Humanitarian assistancePage 1, Paragraph 5, The parties discussed in depth the urgent need to address the difficult humanitarian situation in the north and east of Sri Lanka. To this effect, the parties agreed to establish a Joint Task Force for Humanitarian and Reconstruction Activities. The Joint Task Force will constitute a partnership between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, and will have responsibility for the identification, financing and monitoring of urgent humanitarian and reconstruction activities in the north and east. The task force will operate with due participation of Muslims and its work will benefit all ethnic communities of the North and East. The details relating to the mandate and structure of the Joint Task Force will rapidly be finalized between the parties with the assistance of the Norwegian facilitators. The two immediate priorities of the parties are
(1) stepping up humanitarian mine action, and
(2) accelerating resettlement and rehabilitation of internally displaced persons. - National economic plan
No specific mention.
- Natural resources
No specific mention.
- International fundsPage 1, Paragraph 6, The parties expressed their gratitude for the extensive goodwill of the international community toward the peace process. They urged donors to provide immediate funding for humanitarian priorities. This will enhance public confidence in the peace process and thus contribute to the further progress in the quest for peace in Sri Lanka.
- Business
No specific mention.
- Taxation
No specific mention.
- Banks
No specific mention.
Land, property and environment
- Land reform/rights
No specific mention.
- Pastoralist/nomadism rights
No specific mention.
- Cultural heritage
No specific mention.
- Environment
No specific mention.
- Water or riparian rights or access
No specific mention.
Security sector
- Security Guarantees
No specific mention.
- CeasefireSecurity sector→Ceasefire→Ceasefire provisionPage 1, Paragraph 3, Both parties expressed their resolve to address the full range of issues retaining to a lasting political settlement of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, fully realizing that this can best be achieved by pursuing a step-by-step approach to the negotiation process. This approach has proven successful in the establishment and implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement already in force since February. The parties recognized the need for sustaining the Ceasefire Agreement, with the continued assistance of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, which the parties commended for its impartial conduct in the fulfilment of its important mandate.
Page 1, Paragraph 4, The parties affirmed their determination to continue upholding the Ceasefire Agreement and expanding the rage of confidence-building measure over the period ahead. ... - Police
No specific mention.
- Armed forces
No specific mention.
- DDRSecurity sector→DDR→Demilitarisation provisionsPage 1, Paragraph 5, ... The two immediate priorities of the parties are
(1) stepping up humanitarian mine action - Intelligence services
No specific mention.
- Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces
No specific mention.
- Withdrawal of foreign forces
No specific mention.
- Corruption
No specific mention.
- Crime/organised crime
No specific mention.
- Drugs
No specific mention.
- Terrorism
No specific mention.
Transitional justice
- Transitional justice general
No specific mention.
- Amnesty/pardon
No specific mention.
- Courts
No specific mention.
- Mechanism
No specific mention.
- Prisoner release
No specific mention.
- Vetting
No specific mention.
- Victims
No specific mention.
- Missing persons
No specific mention.
- Reparations
No specific mention.
- Reconciliation
No specific mention.
Implementation
- UN signatory
No specific mention.
- Other international signatory
No specific mention.
- Referendum for agreement
No specific mention.
- International mission/force/similarPage 1, Paragraph 3, Both parties expressed their resolve to address the full range of issues retaining to a lasting political settlement of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, fully realizing that this can best be achieved by pursuing a step-by-step approach to the negotiation process. This approach has proven successful in the establishment and implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement already in force since February. The parties recognized the need for sustaining the Ceasefire Agreement, with the continued assistance of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, which the parties commended for its impartial conduct in the fulfilment of its important mandate.
- Enforcement mechanism
No specific mention.
- Related cases
No specific mention.
- SourceArchived hard copy originally attained by http://www.peaceinsrilanka.org/insidepages/Pressrelease/RNG/PV/19statmentPV.html
19th September.
2002
ROYAL MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Statement of the Royal Norwegian Government
SRI LANKA PEACE TALKS
16 - 18 September 2002
The first round of formal peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTIE) was held in Sattahip, Thailand, between 16 and 18 September 2002.
The negotiations were facilitated by the Royal Norwegian Government.
The parties agreed that in their determination to bring the peace process forward, they are responding to the overwhelming cali of the peoples of Sri Lanka to bring an end to the ethnic conflict, and create the conditions tor lasting peace, prosperity, and respect tor human rights.
Both parties expressed their resolve to address the full range of issues pertaining to a lasting political settlement of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, fully realizing that this can best be achieved by pursuing a step-by-step approach to the negotiation process.
This approach has proven successful in the establishment and implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement already in torce since February.
The parties recognized the need tor sustaining the Ceasefire Agreement, with the continued assistance of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, which the parties commended tor its impartial conduct in the fulfilment of its important mandate.
The parties affirmed their determination to continue upholding the Ceasefire Agreement and expanding the range of confidence-building measures over the period ahead.
Building on the achievements of the Ceasefire Agreement, the parties agreed to establish promptly a Joint Committee to deal with the issues relating to High Security Zones, with the aim of enabling the return of larger numbers of displaced persons to their areas of origin, thereby facilitating the restoration of normalcy.
This Joint Committee will consist of senior representatives of both sides, including military personnel.
The parties discussed in depth the urgent need to address the difficult humanitarian situation in the north and east of Sri Lanka.
To this effect, the parties agreed to establish a Joint Task Force tor Humanitarian and Reconstruction Activities.
The Joint Task Force will constitute a partnership between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, and will have responsibility tor the identification, financing and monitoring of urgent humanitarian and reconstruction activities in the north and east.
The task torce will operate with due participation of Muslims, and its work will benefit all ethnic communities of the North and East.
The details relating to the mandate and structure of the Joint Task Force will rapidly be finalized between the parties with the assistance of the Norwegian facilitators.
The two immediate priorities of the parties are:
(1) stepping up humanitarian mine action, and
(2) accelerating resettlement and rehabilitation of internally displaced persons.
The parties expressed their gratitude tor the extensive goodwill of the international community toward the peace process.
They urged donors to provide immediate funding tor humanitarian priorities.
This will enhance public confidence in the peace process and thus contribute to the further progress in the quest tor peace in Sri Lanka.
The parties agreed that the establishment of the Joint Task Force is a sign of the increasing level of trust between the parties, and of their willingness to work together towards the establishment of a provisional administrative structure tor the north and east.
Recognizing that the way forward is a long and demanding one, the parties agreed to continuing rounds of negotiations.
The next three rounds of negotiations will take place on the tollowing dates:
31 October - 3 November 2002
2 - 5 December 2002
6 - 9 January 2003.
The parties as well as the Norwegian facilitators reiterated their appreciation to the Royal Thai Government for their kindness in providing the venue for the negotiations as well as the generous hospitality shown to the delegations.