Following a request from Dr. Jonathan Gallagher, United Nations representative for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, to meet with H.E. Mrs. Sarala Fernando, Sri Lanka's ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, an audience was granted on March 31.

In a private interview that lasted forty-five minutes, the Ambassador Mrs. Sarala Fernando dialogued on a number of issues, including the recent visit of Adventist church president Dr. Jan Paulsen to Sri Lanka in connection with the centenary of the church's presence in the island, humanitarian aid in the aftermath of the tsunami, and the question of "unethical conversion" bills currently before parliament.

"It was a great privilege to be extended this opportunity to speak to the Ambassador and also the Senior State Counsel, Cmdr. W. J. Shavindra Fernando," comments Gallagher. "As a church we wish to work through dialogue and to develop mutual understanding. Consequently we were delighted to hear that the government's plan for the so-called 'anti-conversion' law that is being proposed will follow international requirements for religious freedom and human rights, and that some of the previous extreme positions taken by some have been countermanded by the Supreme Court. We took the opportunity to distance ourselves from inappropriate activity that some groups have been accused of-that is linking humanitarian aid to conversion to Christianity. We also appreciated the chance to share with the government representatives the work the Adventist church is doing in Sri Lanka in terms of health and education etc, along with the disaster relief being carried out by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA)."

As an non-governmental organization (NGO) the protestant mainstream Seventh-day Adventist Church has consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Gallagher is representing this Christian World Communion at the sixty-first session of the Commission on Human Rights (OHCHR), from 14 March to 22 April. The Commission, which was created in 1946 and is made up of 53 Member States.

The U.N. Office in Geneva has confirmed that the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on freedom of religion or belief, Asma Jahangir, will visit Sri Lanka from 2 to 12 May 2005 at the invitation of the Government. In Colombo and other locations in Sri Lanka, the Special Rapporteur will meet with Government officials as well as representatives of different religious communities and members of civil society.

This visit takes place in the context of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur which consists of protecting and promoting freedom of religion or belief in the light of, among other instruments, the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief (1981).

A report on the visit, including conclusions and recommendations on the situation of freedom of religion or belief in Sri Lanka, will be submitted to the Commission on Human Rights. [Editors: Jonathan Gallagher and Christian B. Schaeffler for APD]