GENEVA : Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam elected Chair of the Committee on Migrant Workers
Former Foreign Secretary, Ambassador Prasad Kariyawasam, was elected by acclamation as the Chair of the United Nations Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (CMW) on 28 May 2026 at the opening segment of the Committee’s 42nd session held at Palais Wilson in Geneva.
In his remarks following the election, Ambassador Kariyawasam thanked the Committee for electing him by acclamation and emphasized the importance of adopting a strategic approach to the Committee’s future work, particularly in the context of evolving challenges in the human rights landscape and resource constraints.
Ambassador Kariyawasam, who was elected to the Committee in June 2023, will serve as Chair for a two-year term. He previously served as the inaugural Chair of the Committee upon its establishment in 2004 and has served on the Committee for four terms.
Ambassador Kariyawasam’s vision for the Committee is deeply rooted in his extensive contribution to norm-setting processes within the UN system, particularly on the rights of migrant workers. His decade-long expertise would contribute to address the challenges faced by migrant workers across origin, transit, and destination countries. Throughout his career, Ambassador Kariyawasam has collaborated extensively with governments, non-
governmental entities, and civil society organizations to promote and protect the welfare of migrant workers.
During his previous tenures with the CMW, Ambassador Kariyawasam was actively involved in drafting several foundational General Comments issued by the Committee, contributing for promotion of migrant workers’ rights in the complex and evolving environment of the 21st century.
Ambassador Kariyawasam is a retired career diplomat with over three decades of professional experience both in Sri Lanka and internationally, and is a well-recognized expert in this field.
The United Nations Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (CMW) is a body of 14 independent experts that monitors the implementation of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families which is a core international human rights treaty.
