Govt. to seek other countries support to quit UNHRC Accountability Resolution on Sri Lanka
(Courtesy for The Island)
The government said yesterday that it would seek the support of other countries to withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Resolution on Sri Lanka, which was co-sponsored by the previous Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration.
While absolving former President and SLFP leader Maithripala Sirisena of any blame, Media and Higher Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena told the weekly Cabinet Press Briefing at the Information Department, that the responsibility for Sri Lanka co-sponsoring the March 2019 UNHRC Resolution 40/L.1 entitled ” Promoting Reconciliation, Accountability and Human Rights of Sri Lanka”, had to be borne soley by the UNP, which was a leading member of the then national government.
He claimed that Sirisena had been tricked by the UNP.
The Cabinet of Ministers, Gunawardena said had resolved, on Wednesday, that Sri Lanka should, with the “help of other countries” exit from UNHRC Resolution 40/ L.1, based on the precedent Resolutions 30/1 of October 2015 and 34/1 of March 2017.
Criticising former Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera’s conduct, Gunawardena said that quitting the resolution, which was co-sponsored along with Canada, Germany, Montenegro, North Macedonia and United Kingdom of Great Britian and Northern Ireland would be welcomed by those who had voted to elect Gotabaya Rajapaksa as President.
The next session of the UNHRC is scheduled to be held from February 24 to March 20.
Having decided to withdraw from the co-sponsorship of Resolution 40/1 of March 2019, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s government announced its intention to work towards the closure of the Resolution in cooperation with members of the UN.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by Minister of Foreign Relations Dinesh Gunawardena on Sri Lanka’s approach at the upcoming 43rd Session of the Human Rights Council and on the diplomatic initiatives necessary to realise this strategy:
I. To announce Sri Lanka’s decision to withdraw from co-sponsorship of Resolution 40/1 of March 2019 on ‘Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka’, which also incorporates and builds on preceding Resolutions 30/1 of October 2015 and 34/1 of March 2017.
II. To continue to work with the UN and its agencies, including the regular human rights mandates/bodies and mechanisms and seek as required, capacity building and technical assistance, in keeping with domestic priorities and policies.
III. To declare the Government’s commitment to achieve sustainable peace through an inclusive, domestically designed and executed reconciliation and accountability process, including through the appropriate adaptation of existing mechanisms, in line with the Government’s policy framework. This would comprise the appointment of a Commission of Inquiry (COI) headed by a Justice of the Supreme Court, to review the reports of previous Sri Lankan COIs which investigated alleged violations of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (IHL), to assess the status of implementation of their recommendations and to propose deliverable measures to implement them keeping in line with the new Government’s policy.
IV. To through due democratic and legal processes, address other outstanding concerns and to introduce institutional reforms where necessary, in a manner consistent with Sri Lanka’s obligations including the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda (SDGs). Demonstrate in good faith the policies rooted in the Government’s commitment to the people by advancing individual and collective rights and protections under the law, ensuring justice and reconciliation and addressing the concerns of vulnerable sections of society.
V. To announce the intention of the GoSL to work towards the closure of the Resolution, in cooperation with the members of the UN.
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