The Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran will speak on `Contemporary issues in post-war Sri Lanka at a seminar organized by the Norway's Labour party. Suresh Premachandran will address the seminar in association with Norway's former Minister and the country's special envoy to Sri Lanka, Eric Solheim on 15 May at 6:00 p.m. at the auditorium of the Norwegian Parliament. The event will be presided over by Deputy Speaker of the Norwegian Parliament Marit Nybakk.

Lauding the immense contribution of the Srilankan Plantation Human Development Trust (PHDT) towards the social welfare of the plantation community and the promotion of the industry, Norwegian Ambassador Ms Hilde Haraldstad said that her country's financial contribution to these efforts was over Rs. 800 million during the eight year period from 1998-2006. The Ambassador who was the chief guest at the 19th Annual General meeting of the PHDT held Friday at the SLFI said that Norway and the Netherlands, have been the main donors, since 1980s, to support programs for the welfare of the community.

U.S. officials said they gained a key ally in their effort to push Sri Lanka to allow an independent investigation of Srilankan government atrocities carried out at the climax of the country’s 26-year civil war against the Tamils in 2009. Eileen Donahoe, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, said the council this week is set to accept a U.S. resolution to that affect during a meeting in Geneva that ends Friday, despite Sri Lanka’s attempt to block it.

Norway and the United Kingdom have expressed their views supporting the proposal against Srilanka. According to reports, several other countries are planning to support the proposal submitted by the United States of America to the Human Rights Conference being held in Geneva. Since, Norway and the United Kingdom have already expressed their views supporting the proposal, the European Union, which contains 27 countries, have stated they will support the proposal. Eight countries in the European Union are members of the Human Rights Council.

In September 2011 the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation ( NORAD) – a directorate under the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a report titled Pawns of Peace-‘Evaluation of Norwegian Peace Efforts in Sri Lanka, 1997-2003’. This report probes two important questions: what went wrong with Norwegian peace efforts in Sri Lanka? And what lessons does the failed Sri Lankan peace process offer to conflict resolutionists?

A Tamil mother of Lankan origin in Norway has sought assistance from the Sri Lankan embassy in Norway to get back her three children from a Norwegian child protection center. Jacqueline Dilanthini, a Tamil mother of Lankan origin domiciled in Norway has made a fervent appeal to the Lankan mission in Norway saying that her three children who are currently in the custody of a Norwegian Child Protection Centre should be allowed to be with her. According to sources the Norwegian Child protection authorities had taken Dilanthini's three children from their school over a complaint that Dilanthini had treated her 12 year old daughter harshly.

Sri Lanka's first ever food certification firm took off with the signing of an agreement between Ind-Expo Certification Ltd and Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen and Norwegian Ambassador Hilde Haraldstad and and, witnessed the MoU signing between Ind-Expo Certification Ltd and SLTDA, joined by Dr. Taizo Nishikawa, the Deputy to the Director-General of UNIDO. Norway is pleased to support Sri Lankan industries and tourism sector on improved environment friendly technologies and cleaner production says Ambassador Haraldstad. 

The Norway, US and European Union sponsored resolution on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC has been passed with 24 countries voting for the resolution and 15 against it. Eight countries abstained from voting. India voted against Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council by voting in favour of the US sponsored resolution on Lanka, NDTV reports. Both the government and the LTTE have been accused of atrocities. Sri Lanka has rejected the resolution and has said today that the criticism at the level of the United Nations is not justified.  Its representatives described the resolution as “counter-productive to the reconciliation process.”

Srilankan peace facilitator Norway yesterday told Sri Lanka to address violations of international laws that allegedly took place during its battle against the LTTE in Srilanka. In a statement before the current session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session, Norway said that it expected Sri Lanka to implement recommendations of Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) and to address alleged violations of international law without delay. Norway said that it would support the US-resolution on Sri Lanka.

The Lessons Learnt and Reconcilliation Commission (LLRC) in its final report to the President which was tabled in Parliament last Friday criticised the role of Norway, that their actions contributed significantly to breakdown of the ceasefire agreements - CFA. It observed that the Nordic peace makers’ dual role as the facilitator and the monitor of the peace process did not synchronise well and this decision to play two opposing roles led to a conflict of interest and failed strong action by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in instances of grave violations of the CFA, particularly by the LTTE.

During the discussions with the Norwegian Ambassador at the office of Catholic Bishop of the Jaffna district Rev. Thomas Soundranayagam stated that political solution is important for Tamil to lead independent life in this country. Bishop also stated there is no joy full surrounding for Tamil people in the district. At present government is carrying out various types of development programme in the Northern Province but they fail to propose a political solution for our people.