Action Plan to Address the Problem of Underage Recruitment

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Country/entity: Sri Lanka
Region: Asia and Pacific
Agreement name: Action Plan to Address the Problem of Underage Recruitment
Date: 7 Feb 2003
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Sri Lankan Civil War (1983 - 2009)
The roots of the Sri Lanka conflict lay in British colonial policy which controlled the island from 1802 until 1948. During the early 1800s, the British brought Tamils from mainland India to work on the various plantations for tea, coffee and rubber, changing Sri Lanka's the demographic make-up. Upon independence, Sinhalese nationalism dominated the political sphere and introduced discriminatory policies against the Tamil minority straining relations and sparking protests. Armed Tamil resistance first came in the form of assassinations of moderate Tamils and opposition politicians in the mid-1970s. However, it was the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's (LTTE) attack on checkpoint Four Four Bravo, which marked the turning point, sparking pogroms against Tamils in Sinhalese majority areas. This incident, known as Black July, is widely considered to the beginning of the civil war.

The first round of peace talks were backed by India, which had deployed the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in 1987, and led to the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka Accord. The Accord was successful in persuading the majority of insurgency groups to lay down arms. However, the strongest Tamil insurgency group, the LTTE, was not party to the talks and refused to disarm, sparking direct conflict between the IPKF and the LTTE until IPKF withdrawal 1990. Following the withdrawal, the LTTE consolidated their power in the North and East sparking another intense and bloody war with the central government that lasted until 2002 when another peace process was launched under the auspices of Norwegian negotiators. The second round of peace talks, however, only continued until April 2003 and in March 2004, a large faction of LTTE cadres split from the main organization damaging LTTE unity. The LTTE were defeated militarily by a large-scale government assault in 2009, however, the conditions for peace remain uncertain.
Stage: Pre-negotiation/process
Conflict nature: Government
Peace process: Sri Lanka LTTE 2002 onward process
Parties: GOSL Delegation:
Hon. G.L. Peiris
Hon. Milinda Moragoda
Hon. Rauf Hakeem
Ambassador Bernard Goonetilleke.

LTTE Delegation:
Mr. Anton Balasingham
Mr. S.P. Tamilselvan
Mr. Muralitharan (Karuna)
Mrs. Adele Balasingham.
Third parties: Norwegian Facilitators:
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vidar Helgesen,
Ambassador Jon Westborg
Mr. Erik Solheim.
Description: Short summary of meeting held during the fifth session observing the progress report of the Sub-committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs for the North and East (SIHRN); the concern of underage recruitment by the LTTE and approving recent initiatives undertaken by UNICEF.

Agreement document: LK_030207_Action Plan to Address the Problem of Underage Recruitment.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: Groups→Children/youth→Rhetorical
Page 1, The issue of underage recruitment by the LTTE was discussed in an atmosphere of concern and commitment to address the problem. The parties welcomed the recent initiatives taken by UNICEF. Furthermore, practical measures to address the issue were discussed by the parties and agreement was reached to request the facilitation of UNICEF in developing and monitoring such activities in association with the Government and the LTTE.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: Page 1, The issue of underage recruitment by the LTTE was discussed in an atmosphere of concern and commitment to address the problem. The parties welcomed the recent initiatives taken by UNICEF. Furthermore, practical measures to address the issue were discussed by the parties and agreement was reached to request the facilitation of UNICEF in developing and monitoring such activities in association with the Government and the LTTE.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: Socio-economic reconstruction→Development or socio-economic reconstruction→Humanitarian assistance
Page 1, In the first sitting this morning, the progress report from the Sub-Committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs for the North and East (SIHRN) was presented to the Plenary Committee. The significant progress achieved by the Sub-Committee in the period under review was appreciated by the delegations. The delegations also acknowledged the support extended to the activities of SIHRN by government institutions.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: Page 1, Finality was reached on outstanding matters relating to the establishment of the North and East Reconstruction Fund (NERF). The Fund is expected to be operational by early next week. Externalities that could have a bearing on donor commitments were discussed and the parties agreed to expedite necessary matters in this regard.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: Page 1, The issue of underage recruitment by the LTTE was discussed in an atmosphere of concern and commitment to address the problem. The parties welcomed the recent initiatives taken by UNICEF. Furthermore, practical measures to address the issue were discussed by the parties and agreement was reached to request the facilitation of UNICEF in developing and monitoring such activities in association with the Government and the LTTE.
Ceasefire: No specific mention.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: Page 1, The issue of underage recruitment by the LTTE was discussed in an atmosphere of concern and commitment to address the problem. The parties welcomed the recent initiatives taken by UNICEF. Furthermore, practical measures to address the issue were discussed by the parties and agreement was reached to request the facilitation of UNICEF in developing and monitoring such activities in association with the Government and the LTTE.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No signatures, but mediated by the Royal Government of Norway.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: http://www.norway.lk/News_and_events/Relations-between-Norway-and-Sri-Lanka/Peace-Process/peace/fifth/

Action Plan to Address the Problem of Underage Recruitment

07 February 2003

Participants:

GOSL Delegation:

Hon. G.L. Peiris Hon.

Milinda Moragoda Hon.

Rauf Hakeem Ambassador Bernard Goonetilleke.

LTTE Delegation:

Mr. Anton Balasingham Mr. S.P. Tamilselvan Mr. Muralitharan (Karuna) Mrs. Adele Balasingham.

Norwegian Facilitators:

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vidar Helgesen,

Ambassador Jon Westborg

Mr. Erik Solheim.

The fifth meeting of the peace talks between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) commenced this morning (7th February) in the Norwegian quarter of the Nordic Embassy Complex in Berlin, Germany.

The government delegation was headed by Hon.

Prof. G.L.Peiris, and includes Hon.

Milinda Moragoda, Hon.

Rauf Hakeem and Ambassador Bernard Goonetilleke, while the LTTE delegation was headed by Mr. Anton Balasingham, and included Mr. S.P. Tamilselvan, Mr. Muralitharan (Karuna) and Mrs. Adele Balasingham.

In the first sitting this morning, the progress report from the Sub-Committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs for the North and East (SIHRN) was presented to the Plenary Committee.

The significant progress achieved by the Sub-Committee in the period under review was appreciated by the delegations.

The delegations also acknowledged the support extended to the activities of SIHRN by government institutions.

Finality was reached on outstanding matters relating to the establishment of the North and East Reconstruction Fund (NERF).

The Fund is expected to be operational by early next week.

Externalities that could have a bearing on donor commitments were discussed and the parties agreed to expedite necessary matters in this regard.

The issue of underage recruitment by the LTTE was discussed in an atmosphere of concern and commitment to address the problem.

The parties welcomed the recent initiatives taken by UNICEF.

Furthermore, practical measures to address the issue were discussed by the parties and agreement was reached to request the facilitation of UNICEF in developing and monitoring such activities in association with the Government and the LTTE.