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Sri Lanka

Disability Rights Bill (LK0032)

Overview

At-a-Glance

Action Plan: Sri Lanka Action Plan 2019-2021

Action Plan Cycle: 2019

Status: Active

Institutions

Lead Institution: Ministry in charge of Social Welfare

Support Institution(s): National Housing Development Authority; National Secretariat for Persons with Disabilities; Ministry of Finance; Ministry in charge of Home Affairs Disability Organisations Joint Front (DOJF)

Policy Areas

Legislation & Regulation, Marginalized Communities

IRM Review

IRM Report: Pending IRM Review

Starred: Pending IRM Review

Early Results: Pending IRM Review

Design i

Verifiable: Pending IRM Review

Relevant to OGP Values: Not Relevant

Potential Impact: Pending IRM Review

Implementation i

Completion: Pending IRM Review

Description

Disability Rights bill formulated with public participation in line with UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and enacted by the Parliament by 2020
1st March 2019 – 31st August 2021
Lead implementing agency/actor Ministry in charge of Social Welfare
Commitment description
What is the public problem that the commitment will address? Persons with disabilities do not enjoy equal rights and privileges as other citizens in society. They are deprived of basic entitlements enjoyed by other citizens due to physical and psychological barriers in society. In Sri Lanka, 1.6 M (8.7%) persons are living with disabilities. The existing disability legislation, Act No. 28 of 1996 is limited to access to education, employment and physical accessibility to public places. With the ratification of UNCPRD (UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) in 2016, the government is accountable to prepare local legislation in line with UNCPRD. The proposed Disability Rights Bill, however, has been formulated with the absence of two separate mechanisms, i.e1) coordination of implementation and 2) independent monitoring as per article 33 of UNCPRD.
What is the commitment? The purpose of this commitment is to prepare a revised bill by the Ministry in charge of Social Welfare based on public consultations and in line with UNCPRD.
How will the commitment contribute to solve the public problem? The accommodation of 2 separate mechanisms in disability legislation as per article 33 of the UNCPRD, i.e coordination of implementation and independent monitoring will lead to improvement of the quality of life of persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities will be able to access the draft bill in disability-friendly modes of communication. An island wide publicity campaign will be conducted on the provisions of the Disability Rights Act highlighting the entitlement of persons with disabilities.
Why is this commitment relevant to OGP values? This commitment promotes public accountability as it provides for legislation to promote and ensure the rights of persons with disabilities.
Additional information This commitment promotes the provisions of the National Human Rights Action Plan 2017-2021, disability legislation in Sri Lanka; the recommendations and commitments in the Draft Sustainable Sri Lanka: Vision & Strategic Path and the Vision 2025; targets influencing disability rights in crosscutting Sustainable Development Goals.
Milestone Activity with a verifiable deliverable Start Date: End Date:
1. The existing bill is revised based on public consultations in line with UNCPRD by the Ministry in charge. Already started May 2019
2. The draft will be available in alternative modes of communication for persons with disabilities (i.e. Braille, Sign Language etc.) for comments and feedback December 2019 April 2020
3. Approval by the Parliamentary subcommittee and enactment of revised bill by Parliament May 2020 September 2020
4. The Ministry implements island wide publicity campaign on the provisions of the revised Disability Rights Act highlighting the entitlement of persons with disabilities. October 2020 February 2021

Commitments

  1. Integrity Officers to Decrease Bribery and Corruption

    LK0024, 2019, Capacity Building

  2. Asset Declaration System

    LK0025, 2019, Asset Disclosure

  3. Increase Use of RTI

    LK0026, 2019, E-Government

  4. Citizen Participation in Health

    LK0027, 2019, E-Government

  5. Campaign Against Youth Drug Use

    LK0028, 2019, Education

  6. Open Data

    LK0029, 2019, E-Government

  7. Agriculture Support Policy

    LK0030, 2019, Capacity Building

  8. Participation for Persons with Disabilities

    LK0031, 2019, Land & Spatial Planning

  9. Disability Rights Bill

    LK0032, 2019, Legislation & Regulation

  10. Disaster Management Planning

    LK0033, 2019, Capacity Building

  11. Nationak Environmental Policy

    LK0034, 2019, Environment and Climate

  12. CEDAW Implementation

    LK0035, 2019, Capacity Building

  13. Local Service Delivery

    LK0036, 2019, E-Government

  14. Feedback on Public Bus

    LK0037, 2019, E-Government

  15. Implementing UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in a Participatory Manner

    LK0038, 2019, Legislation & Regulation

  16. Improving Public Access to Preventive and Curative Strategies to Combat Chronic Kidney Disease

    LK0001, 2016, Health

  17. Transparent Policy to Provide Safe and Affordable Medicines for All

    LK0002, 2016, Capacity Building

  18. National Health Performance

    LK0003, 2016, Capacity Building

  19. Ensuring Transparency and Impartiality in Teacher Recruitment Policy and Process in Sri Lanka

    LK0004, 2016, Capacity Building

  20. Enhance the Services of Government Information Center (GIC- 1919) for Inclusive, Transparent, Accountable and Efficient Governance, Using ICT As Enabler

    LK0005, 2016, Capacity Building

  21. Promote the Open Data Concept and Delivering the Benefits to Citizens Through ICT

    LK0006, 2016, Capacity Building

  22. National Environmental Act (NEA) Amendments

    LK0007, 2016, Capacity Building

  23. Coast Conservation

    LK0008, 2016, Capacity Building

  24. Flora and Fauna Protection

    LK0009, 2016, Capacity Building

  25. Transparent and Accountable Procurement System for Local Authorities in Sri Lanka

    LK0010, 2016, Capacity Building

  26. Local Authority Procurement System Implementation

    LK0011, 2016, Legislation & Regulation

  27. Annual Work Plan of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs to Include a Transparent and Accountable Process to Implement Selected Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Concluding Observations.

    LK0012, 2016, Gender

  28. CEDAW Implementation – Accountability

    LK0013, 2016, Gender

  29. CEDAW – Inclusion

    LK0014, 2016, Gender

  30. Strengthening Women Participation in the Political Decision Making Process at the Local Level

    LK0015, 2016, Capacity Building

  31. Strengthen the Anti-Corruption Framework to Increase Constructive Public Participation

    LK0016, 2016, Anti-Corruption Institutions

  32. Implement UNCAC

    LK0017, 2016, Anti-Corruption Institutions

  33. Coordination Among Anti-Corruption Agencies

    LK0018, 2016, Anti-Corruption Institutions

  34. Corruption and Money Laundering

    LK0019, 2016, Anti-Corruption Institutions

  35. Campaign Finance

    LK0020, 2016, Anti-Corruption Institutions

  36. Disseminate Asset Declaration

    LK0021, 2016, Anti-Corruption Institutions

  37. Starred commitment The Enactment and Implementation of the RTI Act

    LK0022, 2016, Anti-Corruption Institutions

  38. Proactive Disclosure

    LK0023, 2016, Legislation & Regulation