The OMP has a primary mandate to search for and trace the fate and whereabouts of missing and disappeared persons in Sri Lanka.The establishment of the OMP is an acknowledgement of the widespread disappearances that have occurred over four decades in multiple contexts in Sri Lanka and is an explicit recognition of the responsibility of the State to provide answers to the thousands of affected citizens in the country.
The OMP says the regional offices shall ensure greater access to the OMP by families of the missing and disappeared. They will provide a range of services including accepting complaints from family members, following up with district level state agencies on administrative issues faced by families and carrying out inquiries on individual cases."As the OMP continues to establish its offices and operationalize its mandate, it remains committed to protecting the rights of victims and their families," the OMP said in a statement.