HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF SRI LANKA, Annual Report 2019 As decided at a round table discussion in 2018, the United Nations Department for Peacekeeping Operations (UNDPKO) issued a priority list comprising 9 groups to all concerned parties on 7 January 2019, and asked the Commission to prioritize only these 9 groups when conducting the vetting process. In addition, by a letter dated 2 March 2019, the UNDPKO informed all parties concerned that the deployment timeline for the contingents on the priority list may be subject to change. As was agreed at the 2018 roundtable discussion, in order to expedite the vetting process, the lists of personnel from the military troops were to be vetted by HRCSL in collaboration with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights also informed the Commission that each and every troop member must be cleared by both entities. Although the Commission expressed that a double vetting process may cause delays, the double vetting process was agreed upon by all the parties present at a meeting on 30 January 2019, which was chaired by the Hon. Speaker. Furthermore, following a discussion regarding false media reports published about the Commission’s discharge of functions in the vetting process, the Army Commander welcomed the role of HRCSL as the vetting authority in Sri Lanka of officers nominated to serve as UN Peace Keepers and stated that reliable information on the vetting of military personnel can only be obtained from the Army Commander and the media unit of the Sri Lanka Army. Any other information extracted from other personnel or sources would not be true or accurate. A media release to this effect was issued by the Army Commander on 27 March 2019. At a meeting held on 20 June 2019 with all relevant parties including the triforces and the police, chaired by His Excellency the President, the current status of the vetting process was explained to all those present. The Commission vetted and confirmed 671 military personnel for deployment in the reporting year. The Commission by way of a public announcement denounced the false reports issued by several media outlets regarding the process of vetting. False reporting creates a negative perception of the Commission in the public view, thereby misleading the citizens of Sri Lanka. 41