• Register Email Updates

• Advanced Search
• Help

Press Release of the first meeting to follow up the Tokyo Conference on Reconstruction and Development of Sri Lanka

12 September 2003

1. The first meeting to follow up the Tokyo Conference was held in Colombo on 12 September 2003. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Yasushi Akashi, Representative of the Government of Japan, assisted by the EU and the USA.
2. 12 donor countries and 7 international organizations participated in the meeting. The list of participants is attached. Both parties to the peace process, the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were also invited to the meeting. Senior ministers and officials from the Government of Sri Lanka participated, while the LTTE did not attend.
3. The participating countries and international organizations welcomed the continuing commitment of both parties to the peace process and their continued efforts to resume peace talks, with a view to achieving a durable peace based on a federal structure within a united Sri Lanka as agreed in Oslo last December. They also urged strict adherence to the Memorandum of Understanding.
4. The participants discussed the following issues: implementation of donor assistance after the Tokyo Conference, development policy and capacity building by both parties, inter-linkage between progress in the peace process and implementation of donor support, future assistance by the donors, and follow-up modalities.
5. The participating countries and international organizations reiterated their intention to fulfill the commitment to extend assistance to the entirety of Sri Lanka to a cumulative estimated amount in excess of $4.5 billion US dollars, as expressed at the Tokyo Conference, based upon the principles described in the Tokyo Declaration. They reaffirmed paragraph 18 of the Tokyo Declaration that "Assistance by the donor community must be closely linked to substantial and parallel progress in the peace process." They reaffirmed the importance of urgent humanitarian and rehabilitation assistance in the North and East.
6. The participating countries and international organizations expressed their strong commitment to continue and intensify their reconstruction and development assistance to the South. Presentations were made by the Government of Sri Lanka on the progress of the capacity building after the Tokyo Conference as well as on the reconstruction and development policy based on "Regaining Sri Lanka". The participating countries and international organizations urged the Government of Sri Lanka to make further efforts to improve its capacity.
7. a. The participating countries and international organizations agreed to continue follow-up of the Tokyo Conference, in close consultation with both parties.
   b. The participants proposed that the next Consultative Group meeting would be held in Colombo in mid-2004. The exact timing will be decided, taking into account progress in the peace process. A monitoring and review meeting would be held immediately before the CG meeting.
   c. The next Follow-up Meeting may be held at the end of this year or the beginning of the next year.
   d. Ambassadorial level meetings would be held in Colombo whenever appropriate, with the participation of ambassadors and resident representatives in Colombo as well as senior officials from capitals.

(end)