HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF SRI LANKA, Annual Report 2018 Message of the chairperson 2018 marked the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Serendipitously, the year saw HRCSL marking several significant achievements. However, organized sectarian violence in the Kandy District in March pointed to the grave challenges faced by the Commission in protecting human rights of all in the face of rising ethnic and religious divisions. The Commission was delighted to be honored with ‘A’ status international accreditation by the Global Alliance for National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) in May. Previously (in both 2007 and 2009), the Commission had been demoted to ‘B’ status accreditation. International accreditation is based on compliance with Paris Principles (1993) that lay down the framework of principles and international minimum standards to be followed by National Human Rights Institutions. Independence and the effectiveness in discharging the mandate are key components of the accreditation assessment. The Commission was gratified that its hard work within a span of under three years since its appointment could restore confidence in the institution. There was no doubt that the appointment process introduced by the 19th Amendment to the Constitution (2015) played a significant role in the accreditation. Page The human rights situation in the country saw a continuation of the same hopeful trend as in 2016, with the rapid expansion of democratic space for free expression, assembly and association. The year also 3 Another significant achievement was the Commission securing approval for the Scheme of Recruitment (SOR) of the relevant authorities, thereby paving the way for fresh recruitment of officers and increasing the efficiency of the Commission. For over 12 years the Commission had been hampered in addressing its human resources deficiency due to the lack of an approved SOR. 3