We Stands Ready to Engage with the New Government of Sri Lanka on Making Progress on the Range of Human Rights Challenges - UK
Geneva - 09 10 2024
"Our draft resolution seeks to extend the office of the High Commissioner's work on Sri Lanka for a further year and that work has two key elements. The first is the office's reporting to this Council which I hope provides a hugely valuable objective assessment of progress and of challenges as well as recommendations for both the government and the international community on steps to address those challenges. The second element has been labelled by the office of the High Commissioner as its Sri Lanka accountability project through which the office has been collecting, analysing and preserving information and evidence of gross violations of human rights or serious violations of international humanitarian law in Sri Lanka. The ultimate aim of this work is to combat the long standing impunity which has prevailed in Sri Lanka for far too long," said UK Ambassador at UN Human Rights Council submitting the draft resolution A/HRC/57/L.1 on 9th October 2024 for consideration.
Full Statement delivered by Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom Mr. Simon Manley:
On behalf of the core group comprising Canada, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia, the United States and the UK, I have indeed the honor to introduce draft resolution L1 entitled Promoting Reconciliation, Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka.
Since 2012, there have been eight resolutions on Sri Lanka in this Council, some of which have been detailed and substantive while others have been shorter and more procedural.
This year, this session, the draft resolution presented by our core group is short and procedural in nature.
The resolution welcomes the most recent report of the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights which drew attention to a significant number of human rights concerns in Sri Lanka.
These included the deepening human rights impacts of the economic crisis which the country has been facing in recent years, a range of worrying legislative developments, the erosion of democratic checks and balances, restrictions on civil society, rising out of land seizures and long standing impunity for enforced disappearances and other high profile emblematic cases.
Our draft resolution seeks to extend the office of the High Commissioner's work on Sri Lanka for a further year and that work has two key elements.
The first is the office's reporting to this Council which I hope provides a hugely valuable objective assessment of progress and of challenges as well as recommendations for both the government and the international community on steps to address those challenges.
The second element has been labelled by the office of the High Commissioner as its Sri Lanka accountability project through which the office has been collecting, analysing and preserving information and evidence of gross violations of human rights or serious violations of international humanitarian law in Sri Lanka.
The ultimate aim of this work is to combat the long standing impunity which has prevailed in Sri Lanka for far too long.
Mr. President, members of the Council, during the course of this session, Sri Lanka has held peaceful democratic presidential elections and it's announced parliamentary elections for next month.
We stand ready to engage with the new government on making progress on the range of human rights challenges which have been identified by the office of the High Commissioner.
We call on the Council today to demonstrate its continued commitment to advancing reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka by adopting the draft resolution before us.
Thank you very much.
On behalf of the core group comprising Canada, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia, the United States and the UK, I have indeed the honor to introduce draft resolution L1 entitled Promoting Reconciliation, Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka.
Since 2012, there have been eight resolutions on Sri Lanka in this Council, some of which have been detailed and substantive while others have been shorter and more procedural.
This year, this session, the draft resolution presented by our core group is short and procedural in nature.
The resolution welcomes the most recent report of the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights which drew attention to a significant number of human rights concerns in Sri Lanka.
These included the deepening human rights impacts of the economic crisis which the country has been facing in recent years, a range of worrying legislative developments, the erosion of democratic checks and balances, restrictions on civil society, rising out of land seizures and long standing impunity for enforced disappearances and other high profile emblematic cases.
Our draft resolution seeks to extend the office of the High Commissioner's work on Sri Lanka for a further year and that work has two key elements.
The first is the office's reporting to this Council which I hope provides a hugely valuable objective assessment of progress and of challenges as well as recommendations for both the government and the international community on steps to address those challenges.
The second element has been labelled by the office of the High Commissioner as its Sri Lanka accountability project through which the office has been collecting, analysing and preserving information and evidence of gross violations of human rights or serious violations of international humanitarian law in Sri Lanka.
The ultimate aim of this work is to combat the long standing impunity which has prevailed in Sri Lanka for far too long.
Mr. President, members of the Council, during the course of this session, Sri Lanka has held peaceful democratic presidential elections and it's announced parliamentary elections for next month.
We stand ready to engage with the new government on making progress on the range of human rights challenges which have been identified by the office of the High Commissioner.
We call on the Council today to demonstrate its continued commitment to advancing reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka by adopting the draft resolution before us.
Thank you very much.