During a panel discussion featuring Labour Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando, under the theme The Digital Dimensions of Human Trafficking: Emerging Threats, Innovations, and Global Responses, at the Doha Forum 2025, the Minister has expressed his perspectives and explained the background of the issue unique to Sri Lanka.
He called on national and regional international organisations to work together to identify the root cause which he stated was connected to social justice. He also explained the various mechanisms that were available and were being enforced in Sri Lanka in order to address this scourge.
The Doha Forum is a global platform for dialogue, bringing together leaders in policy to discuss critical challenges in the world and to build innovative and action-driven networks. Under the 2025 theme Justice in Action: Beyond Promises to Progress, the Forum called on stakeholders to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete actions to support sustainable prosperity and address injustice.
Articulating his views further, Labour Minister Dr. Fernando also stated that the Government of Sri Lanka is in the process of creating more awareness programmes and campaigns on human trafficking, including interviewing victims of human trafficking to give a greater emphasis to the dangers of this illegal activity.
In addition to attending the Panel Discussion, Fernando met with the Minister of State for International Cooperation Dr. Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al-Misnad. Fernando briefed the Minister of State for International Cooperation on the current situation in Sri Lanka in the aftermath of cyclone Ditwah and the efforts that are currently underway by the Government of Sri Lanka.
He also sought the support of Qatar in Sri Lanka’s rebuilding efforts, to which Qatar’s State Minister for International Cooperation positively responded.
Fernando also met with Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labour, Qatar, Sheikha Najwa bint Abdulrahman Al Thani and discussed avenues for enhancing further cooperation between Sri Lanka and Qatar in the area of labour migration. They also discussed new initiatives that would augment the welfare of Sri Lankan migrant workers in Qatar.
On the sidelines of the Doha Forum 2025, Fernando also met with Qatar Fund For Development (QFFD) Director General Fahad bin Hamad Sulaiti and the Chief Global Programme Officer of Qatar Charity, Nawaf Abdullah Al Hammadi. Both QFFD and Qatar Charity are already supporting Sri Lanka’s relief efforts in collaboration with Qatar Charity’s office in Sri Lanka. More support was assured for Sri Lanka in the rebuilding efforts by QFFD and Qatar Charity.