Launched in 1991, Protecting Environment and Children Everywhere (PEaCE) is a non-profit organization, which is the Sri Lankan counterpart of ECPAT- a global network to end Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children.
Prevention of sexual exploitation of children being its primary focus, PEaCE constantly strives to ensure that children from marginalized and vulnerable backgrounds in Sri Lanka are protected from all forms of abuse, neglect and exploitation. Whilst ensuring that the Rights of the children coming from these marginalized communities are safeguarded and upheld, the organization is aiming at creating a safe environment for every child regardless of their race, religion, gender or creed.
In our efforts to build a network of a Child Rights protection community comprising State and Non State actors, PEaCE nurtures collaborations among civil society activists, government officials particularly the law enforcement officers, teachers and various other stake holders. The focal activities of PEaCE include; capacity building of public sector officials through awareness and training, legal case monitoring and counselling, lobbying and advocacy to influence the National Policy, fostering rehabilitation for abused children and research and data collection.
Maintaining close relations with the grassroots level, we consider, is essential to sustain our work and PEaCE therefore, conducts various programmes for the benefit of the community we are engaged with, from holding medical camps/ monthly medical clinics for children and their families to conducting afternoon classes for vulnerable children from identified localities in order to keep them occupied in an environment free of abuse.
Contact: Mr. Mohammed Mahuruf
Phone: +94 (0)11 281 93 97
Address: No. 39/4, Jayasinghe Road, Kirulapone, Colombo 06, Sri Lanka
Email:
info@ecpat.lk
Website: https://www.ecpat.lk/
Sri Lanka is internationally renowned for the high presence of sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism since the 1980s.
Although in Sri Lanka the legal age for marriage is 18 years for girls and boys, underage children can get married with parental consent or through a court order if they are Muslims; in these cases, the law doesn’t provide any specification in terms of a minimum age.
Year: 2022
Year: 2021
No
The age of sexual consent is 16 and only applies to girls. No age of consent is provided for boys. Furthermore, married girls are allowed to engage in sex. The minimum age for marriage is 12 years old. The national legislation does not provide for a close-in-age exemption.
Analysis of country legislation on age of sexual consent, 2024
No
Active extraterritoriality is provided for all crimes. Additionally, passive extraterritoriality is also provided for trafficking crimes. Double criminality does not apply to extraterritoriality.
Extradition only applicable in relation to a treaty except in respect of Commonwealth countries. Only some SEC-related offences are extraditable (trafficking in children for prostitution). Extradition is subject to the double criminality requirement.
SECTT Legal Checklist Sri Lanka, 2020
Not Yet Assessed
No
There are no mandatory legal provisions for criminal background checks nor legislation prohibiting convicted sex offenders to hold positions involving or facilitating contact with children.
SECTT Legal Checklist Sri Lanka, 2020
Partial
Sri Lanka has ratified the CRC, the OPSC, the Trafficking Protocol and the ILO Convention no. 182.
Sri Lanka has also ratified the Council of Europe’s Budapest Convention.
Sri Lanka has not ratified the OPIC, the UNWTO Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics nor the Council of Europe’s Lanzarote Convention.
SECTT Legal Checklist Sri Lanka, 2020
Not Yet Assessed
Not Yet Assessed
No
There are no child protection standards for the travel and tourism industry in place.
SECTT Legal Checklist Sri Lanka, 2020
Not Yet Assessed
