Ms. Nillasi Liyanage

Nillasi Liyanage is an Attorney-at-Law and researcher specializing in humanitarian disarmament discourse, weaponization of technology, and survivor- centered and gender-sensitive Justice Reforms.

She received her LLB (Hons) from the University of Colombo and LLM in International Human Rights Law from the Birmingham City University, UK. She is qualified in AI Policy and Climate Change Policy.

Prior to joining the LKI, she served as Legal Advisor-Sri Lanka for Legal Action Worldwide focusing on victim rights and justice reforms. Formerly, she was the Legal Advisor on Detention for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Sri Lanka. As a Protection of Family Links Officer of the ICRC in Colombo, she worked closely with the Sri Lankan Families of the Missing. She started her career as a Legal Research Officer to a Judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.

She has worked extensively in multilateral engagement for humanitarian disarmament supporting Sri Lanka’s engagement with arms control conventions, especially the Anti- Personnel Mine Ban Convention and the regulation of Lethal Autonomous Weapons.

Mendis, N.,  Gunasekere, N., & Liyanage N. (2019). Regulation of weapons, demining and humanitarian disarmament in post-conflict Sri Lanka. In Seneviratne, W. & Mendis, N. (Eds.), The continued relevance of international humanitarian law in post-conflict Sri Lanka. International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Liyanage N. (2019). Women and gender considerations in post-war Sri Lanka’s mine action. In Sri Lanka’s mine action story: Achievements, challenges and opportunities. Sri Lanka Campaign to Ban Landmines (SLCBL).

Liyanage N. (2023). Sri Lanka’s compliance with the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention norm: An evaluation in the light of the recent enabling legislation. Junior Bar Law Journal, 14.

Liyanage N. (2018). The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention and Sri Lanka: A success story. Sri Lanka Journal of International Law, 26, 203.