From Geneva to Sri Lanka: ADEAGE Appeals to the International Community to Halt State-Led Displacement of Tamil Communities GENEVA – In a forceful address to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Ms. Kartthikagini Atchalingam, representing the Association for the Defence and Promotion of Human Rights (ADEAGE), called on the international community to take immediate and decisive action regarding the deteriorating human rights situation in the North and East of Sri Lanka. Speaking during the General Debate of the Council’s 55th Session, Ms. Atchalingam highlighted what she described as a "systematic and calculated effort" by the Sri Lankan state to marginalize the Tamil population through militarization, land grabbing, and the suppression of civil liberties. Focus on Land Grabbing and Militarization Central to the ADEAGE presentation was the issue of state-led land acquisitions under the guise of archaeological preservation and forestry conservation. Ms. Atchalin...

Geneva, February 23, 2026 — In a powerful opening to the 61st session of the Human Rights Council , UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk didn't mince words. Addressing a world fractured by "fierce competition for power," Türk’s speech was part global alert, part manifesto for a new era of grassroots justice. A Return to "Supremacy" Türk warned that we are seeing a "normalized" use of force and a resurgence of "domination and supremacy" at levels unseen for 80 years. From the devastating conflicts in Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine to the "survival mode" of the UN itself due to funding cuts, the message was clear: the international rules-based order is under a full-scale assault. The Power of the Mothers: Sri Lanka to Argentina One of the most moving segments of the address was Türk’s tribute to the Mothers of the Disappeared in Sri Lanka . He used their long-standing struggle as the ultimate proof that the demand for dignity...

Comprehensive Evaluation of District Coordination Committee (DCC) Meetings in Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern Provinces, 2025 Executive Summary This report presents a rigorous, evidence-based evaluation of District Coordination Committee (DCC) meetings conducted throughout 2025 in Sri Lanka’s Northern (Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya) and Eastern (Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Ampara) Provinces. Drawing on official records, government circulars, district secretariat data, credible news sources, and civil society monitoring, the analysis covers a chronological inventory of meetings-including those held in October, November, and December-detailing locations, participants, agendas, and outcomes. The report critically assesses governance performance, operational capacity, systemic deficiencies, and the impact of DCC decisions on war-affected and displaced populations, with a particular focus on land rights, heritage protection, and restitution. Key findings reveal that while ...