The Office on Missing Persons (OMP) and the Bureau of Rehabilitation (BOR) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 24 June 2026 to strengthen institutional cooperation in matters relating to missing persons.

The Justice Ministry said that the OMP has previously entered into Memoranda of Understanding with several key state and international institutions, including the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Department of National Archives, and the Registrar General’s Department. Moreover, the new MOU signed with the Bureau of Rehabilitation represents a further step in strengthening inter-institutional collaboration to support the OMP’s mandate and enhance coordination among relevant stakeholders.

The text of the Justice Ministry statement: “The MOU establishes a framework for collaboration between the two institutions, particularly in the areas of information sharing, referrals, capacity building, and coordination of activities relevant to tracing missing persons and supporting affected families.

Through this partnership, the OMP and BOR aim to enhance their collective efforts in addressing issues related to missing persons by facilitating greater cooperation and strengthening mechanisms for information exchange. The collaboration is expected to contribute to the OMP’s mandate of tracing missing persons, clarifying their fate and whereabouts, and supporting the rights and interests of family members.

The MOU was signed by Mahesh Katulanda, Chairman of the Office on Missing Persons, and Brigadier M. S. Amith, Commissioner General of the Bureau of Rehabilitation, in the presence of senior officials from both institutions.

This partnership reflects the commitment of both organisations to work collaboratively in addressing humanitarian concerns related to missing persons and promoting effective institutional cooperation for the benefit of affected families and communities.”

A specialists committee has been appointed by the Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation adhering to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 29.12.2025 for submitting appropriate recommendations analyzing the provisions of the draft bill formulation in regard to Animal Welfare.

Based on the recommendations of the said Committee, the Legal Draftsman has been instructed at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held on 18.05.2026 to prepare the final bill on the animal welfare.

Wherefore, the Legal Draftsman has formulated the draft bill and the clearance of the Attorney General has been received in the connection.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to publish the said draft bill in the
Government Gazette Notification and subsequently forward the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.

Under the legal provisions for elections in this country since 2004, it is mandatory for voters who come to mark their votes to verify their identity through a valid identity card, and it is also mandatory for all such voters to be marked with an appropriate mark using indelible ink. The dual purpose of these two functions is to prevent a voter from voting more than once in a single election.

It has been observed that having to follow two different
methods at the same time to achieve the same objective hinders the efficiency of the duties performed at the polling stations and also incurs additional costs to the government.

Therefore, it has been deemed appropriate to remove the legal provisions regarding the use of indelible ink and marking the voter with the appropriate mark from all election acts.

Accordingly, the development activities of the province, as well as national security, will benefit. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the
President to take necessary steps to remove the legal provisions

• Section 36 of the presidential Election Act, No 15 of 1981
• Section 38 of the Parliamentary Election Act, No 01 of 1981
• Section 36 of the Provincial Council Election Act, No 02 of 1988
• Section 53 A of the Local Government Elections Ordinance (262 Authority)
• Section 21 of the Referendum Act No 7 of 1981