COLOMBO : The new resolution titled Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka, which was tabled at the 51st Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), has been adopted with majority votes,Thursday, Oct,6.
A total of 20 countries including the United Kingdom, United States, France, Finland, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland and the Republic of Korea had voted in favour of Resolution A/HR/51/5/L1/Rev1.
Meanwhile, 07 countries – China, Bolivia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Cuba and Eritrea – had voted against the resolution.
India, Japan, Nepal, UAE, Qatar, Libya and Indonesia were among the countries that abstained from voting.
Permanent Representative to the UK in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley introduced the resolution on Sri Lanka at the 51st Regular Session of the UNHRC earlier today.
Presenting the resolution, he said the text is largely based on last year’s resolution but has been updated to reflect some of the key developments over the last 18 months in what has been a rather dramatic time for Sri Lanka – an economic crisis, mass protests, and a change in government, all of which have had a significant bearing on the human rights situation in the country.
Addressing the UNHRC, Minister Sabry categorically rejected the new draft resolution on Sri Lanka which was which was presented without the country’s consent or consultation.
He said this draft resolution is not helpful to Sri Lanka.
The final draft of the new resolution on Sri Lanka was submitted to the 51st UNHRC session in Geneva along with the UN Human Rights High Commissioner’s report on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka on Wednesday (Oct. 05).
The draft resolution was initially sponsored by the Core Group on Sri Lanka including the UK, US, Germany, Canada, Malawi, Montenegro and North Macedonia.
Subsequently, it was also signed by Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Slovakia and Sweden.
The draft requests the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to enhance its monitoring and reporting on the situation of human rights in Sri Lanka, including on progress in reconciliation and accountability and on the human rights impact of the economic crisis and corruption.
The office has also been requested to present oral updates to the Human Rights Council at its 53rd session and 55th sessions and a written update at its 54th session and a comprehensive report that includes further options for advancing accountability at its 57th session in 2024.
The new resolution also expresses concern over the human rights developments since April 2022 including violence against and arrests of peaceful protesters as well as violence against government supporters, resulting in deaths, injuries, destruction and damage to the houses of MPs.
The resolution has also sought to extend and reinforce the capacity of the Office of the High Commissioner to collect, consolidate, analyse and preserve information and evidence and to develop possible strategies for future accountability processes for gross violations of human rights or serious violations in Sri Lanka.
