Sri Lanka UN Expulsion Claim Is False, Country Remains a Full UN Member

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As world leaders gathered in New York for the High-Level Week of the 81st UN General Assembly, a “breaking news” post began circulating in Sri Lanka claiming that the country had been removed from the United Nations. The posts carried a photo of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake beside the UN emblem, and they played on public anxiety about Sri Lanka’s standing in the world. Here are the posts that carried out the claim.

Social Media Posts:

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Fact-Check:

Had the UN removed Sri Lanka, or any member state, it would have been major news across local and international media. No credible local or international news organisation reported that the UN had removed Sri Lanka or planned to do so.

The posts surfaced during the General Assembly’s High-Level Week. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath led the Sri Lankan delegation to the 81st session from September 27 to 30. He delivered Sri Lanka’s national statement to the General Debate in New York on September 28.

Sri Lanka Has Been a UN Member Since 1955

The official UN website is the primary source for checking the status of member states. It lists Sri Lanka among the 193 member states, with a date of admission of December 14, 1955.

Official United Nations Website

Sri Lanka also took part in UN business throughout 2026. On June 26, Permanent Representative to the UN in New York Jayantha Jayasuriya delivered a national statement at an informal General Assembly meeting commemorating the signing of the UN Charter. On September 8, Sumith Dassanayake, Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva, spoke on behalf of Sri Lanka at the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council. Together with the September 28 address, these interventions show a full and active member state.

The UN Has Scrutinized Sri Lanka Recently, Not Expelled It

The UN has scrutinized Sri Lanka in recent weeks, but scrutiny is not expulsion. On August 7, Margaret Satterthwaite, the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, wrote to the Government about a proposal to raise the retirement age of senior judges. She warned that applying the change to sitting judges could undermine judicial independence and the separation of powers. The Government replied on August 21. Parliament passed the 22nd Amendment on September 25 by 158 votes to 62, according to the Daily FT. Full details are available here and here.

On the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances (August 30), UN Resident Coordinator Marc-André Franche said tens of thousands of families were still waiting to learn the fate of missing relatives. On September 3, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk presented his latest report on Sri Lanka and said that 17 years after the war ended, there had been little progress on accountability for international crimes, gross human rights violations, and serious breaches of humanitarian law. Full details are available here, here and here.

No Single Person or UN Body Can Revoke a Country’s Membership

No single person can cancel a country’s UN membership. The UN Charter allows only two steps against a member, and both need the Security Council and the General Assembly to act together. Under Article 5, a member against which the Security Council has taken preventive, or enforcement action may be suspended from exercising the rights and privileges of membership. Under Article 6, a member that has persistently violated the Charter’s principles may be expelled by the General Assembly upon the Security Council’s recommendation.

The Secretary-General has no role in either step. A Security Council recommendation needs nine of its 15 votes and no vote against any of the five permanent members (Article 27). The General Assembly must then decide by a two-third majority of the members present and voting (Article 18). Lawfare noted that no member state has ever been removed under Article 6.

Voting against a UN resolution, criticism from UN officials or human rights allegations therefore does not lead to loss of membership. No such process has been reported against Sri Lanka.

Senior Additional Secretary to the President Rejected the Claim

Subhash Roshan Gamage, Senior Additional Secretary to the President, said the claim that Sri Lanka had been removed from the UN was completely false, baseless and without any official evidence. He said the UN, the General Assembly and the Security Council had issued no official notification of any termination, suspension, or expulsion of Sri Lanka’s membership.

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Conclusion:

Our fact-check found that the social media posts claiming Sri Lanka had been removed from the United Nations are false. The official UN member-states list shows Sri Lanka among the 193 members, admitted on December 14, 1955. UN records show its missions in New York and Geneva continued their official work in 2026, and Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath delivered Sri Lanka’s national statement at the General Debate on September 28.

Removal would need a Security Council recommendation, and a two-thirds vote in the General Assembly, a step the UN has never taken against any member. The President’s Senior Additional Secretary, Subhash Roshan Gamage, also confirmed that no official notification of expulsion had been issued.