Colombo:A three-day high-level consultation was conducted from September 9 to 11, 2026, in Colombo to support Sri Lanka’s efforts to enhance its national counter-terrorism framework. This event was organized by the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) in collaboration with Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism.

According to Ministry of Defence – Sri Lanka, the consultation brought together senior representatives and subject-matter experts from various international and national institutions, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Australian High Commission, and British High Commission. The gathering served as a platform for exchanging international experiences, identifying strategic priorities, and discussing opportunities to strengthen Sri Lanka’s comprehensive approach to countering terrorism.

The CTED delegation was led by Ms. Carmen Cantor, Deputy Executive Director of CTED, and included experts from various fields such as legal affairs, human rights, and strategic response. International experts and representatives from Australia, the United Nations Country Team, and other national agencies also participated.

Key discussions during the consultation focused on strategic and operational areas, including terrorist threat assessment, development of a National Counter-Terrorism Strategy, international legal frameworks, and strengthening risk-based law enforcement responses. The event also emphasized countering the financing of terrorism, border security, protection of critical infrastructure, and institutional coordination.

Sri Lankan stakeholders shared their experiences and mechanisms in addressing terrorism, benefitting from comparative international experiences and good practices. The importance of a comprehensive, coordinated, and sustainable national counter-terrorism framework, aligned with international obligations and standards, was highlighted.

CTED expressed its commitment to providing further technical assistance to Sri Lanka in reviewing and strengthening its counter-terrorism landscape. This consultation marks a significant step in Sri Lanka’s engagement with the United Nations and international partners to bolster its national security architecture.