Sri Lanka today “categorically” rejected the “country–specific” resolution introduced by the Core Group at the 51st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The resolution A/HRC/51/L.1/Rev.1 entitled “Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka” was adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council despite the call from Sri Lanka on the Members of the Council to reject it by a vote.
The resolution was adopted with 20 member states voting in favor and 7 states voting against while 20 member states including India abstained.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry, who led the delegation to the UNHRC session, rejecting the draft Resolution HRC/51/L.1/Rev.1, said the resolution was presented without Sri Lanka’s consent, despite the efforts to engage with the main sponsors.
“While this resolution may meet the objective of advancing the political considerations of the sponsors, it is manifestly unhelpful to Sri Lanka. We call on the Members of the Council to reject it by a vote,” he said in his reply.
Sri Lanka particularly rejected the proposal in Operative Paragraphs (OP) 8, which seeks to continue the work initiated in last year’s resolution which created capacity within the Office of the High Commissioner to collect, consolidate, analyze and preserve information to support judicial and other proceedings against the state.
“As we have repeatedly stated, this so-called external evidence gathering mechanism will have wide-ranging legal and political implications for all countries,” Minister Sabry said adding that “No sovereign state can accept the superimposition of an external mechanism that runs contrary to its Constitution and which pre-judges the commitment of its domestic legal processes.”
Minister Sabry assured that Sri Lanka remains firmly committed to pursuing tangible progress on human rights through its domestic institutions.
He explained that domestic mechanisms include replacing the PTA with comprehensive national security legislation, the introduction of constitutional amendments and a legal framework to strengthen democratic governance, participation and the rule of law, as well as independent institutional oversight.
On reconciliation and human rights, he said the contours of a domestic truth-seeking mechanism is under advanced discussion awaiting the final report of the Presidential Commission.
“We are of the firm view that any solution should be within the constitutional framework of a sovereign Sri Lanka,” the Minister reiterated adding that on further engagement with this Council, Sri Lanka looks forward to domestic consultations in preparation for our upcoming UPR process.
Courtesy: Colombo Page
