A/HRC/44/50/Add.1
(f)
Implement comprehensive security sector reform and demilitarization,
in line with the country’s transitional justice commitments under Human Rights
Council resolution 30/1, and order all security forces to immediately end all forms of
surveillance and harassment of and reprisals against human rights defenders, other
actors, and victims of human rights violations;
(g)
Maintain engagement with the United Nations peacebuilding
architecture, in particular the Peacebuilding Commission, through regular updates on
progress made in implementing the country’s Peacebuilding Priority Plan and the
sharing of and benefiting from good practices and experiences related to transitional
justice and reconciliation processes;
(h)
Provide support to important institutions such as the Constitutional
Council, the Office on Missing Persons, the Office for Reparations and the Human
Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, ensuring that they are able to continue to work
independently and with sufficient resources to discharge their mandates;
(i)
Safeguard the democratic gains made by the country in the last five
years, including through the preservation of the Nineteenth Amendment to the
Constitution;
(j)
Guarantee a vibrant civic space, where all civil society actors are able to
carry out their work in a safe and enabling environment, free from threats or acts of
violence, intimidation, surveillance, or any other form of harassment, including
judicial harassment and reprisals;
(k)
Ensure that the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
can be effectively exercised, in law and in practice, fulfilling the indispensable role
that they play in the promotion of a fair, free, pluralistic and democratic society where
minority and dissenting views are respected;
(l)
Take steps to address the perceived climate of impunity by improving
access to justice, promoting and mainstreaming human rights through its legislation,
procedures and other actions, and taking resolute steps towards bringing the
perpetrators of human rights violations to justice.
95.
With regard to peaceful assembly, he recommends that the Government:
(a)
Consider revising the laws and regulations relating to freedom of
peaceful assembly in order to ensure their compliance with international human
rights norms and standards;
(b)
Consider developing clear and accessible guidance based on the laws and
regulations regarding the right to freedom of peaceful assembly in order to facilitate
the organization of assemblies according to law, both by organizers and law
enforcement authorities;
(c)
Consider amending the law regarding notification procedures in order to
allow for the occurrence of spontaneous or urgent assemblies without risk of
criminality;
(d)
Refrain from using national security legislation, including the Prevention
of Terrorism Act, to criminalize protesters legitimately exercising their right to
freedom of peaceful assembly;
(e)
Refrain from shutting down the Internet, in whole or in part, which
always contravenes international human rights standards, and work collaboratively
with civil society, the media, Internet service providers, and social media companies in
order to find effective and evidence-based solutions to counter violent content and
disinformation online, in a manner consistent with international human rights law;
(f)
Ensure that any use of force to disperse assemblies is in accordance with
international human rights law, the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms
by Law Enforcement Officials and the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement
Officials, including through the provision of relevant training;
17
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