I take this opportunity to convey His Excellency Mahinda Rajapakse, the President of Sri lanka’s greetings and well wishes for the success of this important conference.

Social development and social security can be achieved and ensured if every individual in a society is empowered, engaged in and plays a participatory role in his own affairs. The individual should be at the centre of social development. People must have an influence on the formulation of policies which affect them. Social development does not mean economic development alone.

Human security does not depend merely upon external environments which are necessary for political stability, material development, scientific growths and social justice. A certain amount of respect and consideration among individuals is to be developed and cultivated to bring harmony in society. We should learn to live in harmony and generate the dynamism of togetherness which alone can ensure social security. Without a sense of belongingness, every individual suffers from separateness and this sense of separateness creates fear and makes him unsecured. New trend of individualism  that stresses individual freedom  rather than bringing unity and a sense of belongingness  with others in a society  will not ensure human security in the long run..

Our societies in the region were able to sustain their life, maintained   social order and ensured social security by taking responsibilities to their own families and to their societies and ensured harmony and peace within societies. Integrated sustainable livelihood activities of different segments of societies maintained a social order which later developed into a caste system in our region.

Discrimination, differentiation, deprivation on the basis of race religion caste and status create conflict within societies and ultimately end up in violence and war. Social exclusion should be eradicated completely by encouraging the deprived segments to increase their own social capital by interacting and participating in development activities which will ultimately lead to the realization of their rights as equal citizens.

Social security can be achieved by empowering every individual, strengthening their capabilities, promoting their participation in social, economical and political spheres of the country and finally ensuring the human dignity of every individual without any discrimination on the basis of race religion, caste, gender, and status in society.

Taking responsibility was the norm of our forefathers for the sake of ensuring a better life for their children in the future. Material prosperity and financial assistance of the governments for the elders and disabled persons in developed countries have not helped them to lead a secured life in their old age.

Social Development in Sri Lanka

As the Minister of Social Services and Social Welfare, I encourage even the most vulnerable persons to sustain their lives without depending on others for their daily activities. I have initiated many programmes for the disable persons, elders, prisoner’s families, victim families and street people in Sri Lanka to sustain their life independently and to engage in community based activities in a dignified manner.

Since 1994, my Ministry has been implementing a national Community Based Rehabilitation programme (CBR) with budgetary allocation and has now reached 220 divisions in 23 Districts (of the 25). A significant body of knowledge and experience therefore now exists at all levels of the country’s social and administrative system-individual, family and community and extending from divisional to national level. CBR has evolved as a needs based bottom –up approach. Starting as a home and community level strategy, CBR is now a cross cutting theme of immense dimensions. It now aims at the inclusion of people in the mainstream of community life and in the mainstream of the country’s development efforts. Simultaneously CBR aims at empowering people so that they are in control of their own lives and also empowers families and communities to support their members.

Social Security Board

Social Security schemes for employees in the state and private sectors, farmers, fishermen and for self employed persons have been in operation in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Social Security Board was established under my ministry to provide pensions and Social Security Benefit schemes for self employed persons during their old age and disability, to encourage them to develop their capabilities and skills, to provide relief to the dependants upon death, to encourage youth to be self employed and to develop their capabilities and skills and to improve the living standards of self employed persons, generally. Various appropriate schemes are designed to facilitate the earning capacity of different categories of people.

Sri Lanka has been in the forefront in developing the human resources by way of providing free education up to University level, free health services, and skill development of youth to enable them to use their potentiality fully, in development activities. We acknowledge the fact that it is through education we could achieve economic and social development and social equity and justice, as primary role of education is to develop the Intellectual Capacities, human potentialities and skills capabilities of citizens. Such capabilities are necessary to address and resolve a wide range of problems and challenges faced by our societies in meeting the realities of international competition under the new condition of Globalization.

Today our country is giving priority to accelerate growth, reduce poverty, achieve Millennium Development Goals and create a highly skilled workforce. Social development needs integrated approach while ensuring economic independence with social security without intruding in to privacy and integrity of every human person.

I am happy inform you this forum that the office of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka  has already taken initiative to formulate Sri Lankan Action plan 2008-2015  in consultation with relevant line  Ministries and other governmental and Non governmental organizations.

This Sri Lanka action Plan aims at giving effect to the provisions of the SAARC Social Charter, with specific goals and targets to be achieved within a specified time frame. It focus on drawing up targets to be achieved  in the areas of poverty  alleviation, population stabilization, the empowerment of women, youth mobilization, human resources development, the promotion of health, nutrition and the protection of children.

 Unfortunately, the country is unable to obtain maximum benefit due to continued war situation for the last three decades in our country.

Right to information and transparency

The preamble of the constitution  states that the people of Sri Lanka have assured  to all people “Freedom, Equality, Justice, Fundamental  Human Rights and the Independence  of the Judiciary” as the intangible heritage  that guarantees the dignity and well being of  succeeding generations of the people of Sri Lanka.

The very existence of a legal right requires that the rights of all persons   who posses similar rights should be equally upheld. It follows, therefore, that nobody can be allowed to so exercise his legal right as to prejudice the existence of a similar right belonging to another individual. This inherent limitation of a legal right extends to fundamental rights as well.

Absolute and unrestricted individual rights do not, and can not exist in today’s competitive world. The liberty of a person to do as he pleases must yield to the common good and we need to strike a balance between individual’s rights and social control. We have to harmonise the exercise of the competing rights.

Our country is yet to go a long way to achieve the right to information and the connected concept of transparency due to three decade of internal conflict. Even though our Constitution recognizes all human rights and fundamental freedoms of every citizen and has ratified almost all the convention of the United Nations on human rights, people still face difficulties in exercising their fundamental rights over security measures in force under national security laws. Our country has been under emergency rule due to terrorism of the LTTE.

Enjoyment of the right to information and ensuring transparency can take place only in a vibrant democracy which is answerable to its citizens. India- The world largest democracy is in the forefront in exercising this right to information of its citizens and I hope India’s experiences that will help our countries in this region for the advancement of this right without disturbing the peace and harmony in a multi -cultural societies.

The right to freedom of expression includes freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds but the exercise of these rights carries with it special duties and responsibilities

While exercising our right to information, we have to respect and ensure the rights of other persons, their reputation, privacy and integrity, sensibilities of other communities and also the concerns of national security and public order.

The freedom of expression in Sri Lanka has been used for advocating war, ethnic and religious hatred that has resulted in inciting violence, hostilities, discrimination, differentiation and ultimately deprivation of fundamental rights and freedoms of our people. Freedom of expression, freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds should not “interfere with a person’s privacy, family, home or correspondence, or to unlawful attacks on his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.”

Therefore, this right to information can be achieved in a matured democratic country which respects human values, the sensibilities of every citizen, communities and uphold rule of law without compromising its national security

Nowadays we hear a few voices in Sri Lanka calling for transparency and accountability in the state sector but due to war, their voices are not heard enough to bring attention to this concept called transparency. But in the state sector, accountability has been ensured by an inbuilt mechanism but there is every possibility to manipulate this mechanism and engage in corrupt practices. Media plays an important role in bringing out corrupt practices and exposes them which later debated in public and in Parliament.

The right to information and transparency can be exercised in a highly developed educated society which believes in social justice and respects human values, human rights and fundamental freedoms, pluralism and democracy. In democracy, power stems from the people. If the people are aware of their power, their rights and their responsibilities in democracy, then their active participation in governance will ensure social development, social security to enjoy all their rights including the right to information.

On behalf of my country, I reaffirm our commitment towards achieving people centered social development which will ensure good governance for the citizens to participate and enjoy their rights and freedoms. My country is also keen in strengthening cooperation among the countries in our region to enhance consultations and exchange of experiences with a view to optimizing the effectiveness of social policies in our countries.

Before I conclude my speech, I thank the organizers –Ministry of Human Resources Development, and UNESCO for giving me the opportunity to share our experience with you all.