A preparatory meeting was held in Jaffna on 27 July ahead of an international conference scheduled for 30 August, marking the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.
The meeting took place at a private guest house in Jaffna and brought together representatives of the Association of Relatives of the Enforced Disappeared, politicians, civil society organisations, social activists, students, and religious leaders.
According to organisers, the conference will be held at Thanthai Chelva Hall in Jaffna and will coincide with the United Nations-designated day dedicated to victims of enforced disappearances.
Speaking during the preparatory meeting, representatives of the families of the disappeared said they have continued protests across Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern Provinces while seeking information about the fate of their missing relatives and accountability for alleged enforced disappearances.
Organisers stated that they believe existing domestic mechanisms have failed to provide credible investigations or justice for affected families. They said the conference will call for greater international engagement and will advocate for an independent international inquiry into alleged enforced disappearances.
The issue of enforced disappearances remains one of the most contentious human rights concerns arising from Sri Lanka’s decades-long civil conflict, with victims’ families continuing to press successive governments for truth, justice, and accountability.
The Sri Lankan government has previously maintained that it has established domestic institutions to address issues related to missing persons, while critics argue those mechanisms have not delivered meaningful progress for many families.
