COLOMBO, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's candidate Prasad Kariyawasam was elected to the UN committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families on Tuesday in New York, a statement from the foreign ministry here said on Wednesday.
Kariyawasam, a retired career diplomat, has served on the committee three times and was also the chairperson during the committee's initial formative stages, the ministry said.
In addition to Kariyawasam, candidates from Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, Türkiye, Mexico, and Burkina Faso got elected to the seven-member committee, said the ministry.
In the post-pandemic context, and the prevailing global economic situation, migrant workers are facing enormous challenges while contributing to the growth of economies across the world, said the ministry.
The nomination of a candidate to the committee by Sri Lanka is an endorsement of the country's commitment to protecting and promoting the rights of migrant workers, said the ministry.
The Committee is a body of independent experts that works to protect the rights of millions of migrant workers around the world. ■
