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Rights probe on Lanka: UNHRC suffers setback
The United Nations Human Rights Council’s move to set up a separate secretariat to enforce matters relating to the resolution it passed on Sri Lanka in March this year has suffered a setback.
Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena told the Sunday Times, “We have learnt that the UN Headquarters has cut down by more than 50 percent of the amount the Council sought.”
He said, he was now awaiting a full report from the Sri Lanka Permanent Mission in New York.
The UN Human Rights Commission Michelle Bachelet had sought to set up a 13-member secretariat with a budget cost of US$ 2,856,300 for the current year to give effect to the implementation of the secretariat as required in the UN resolution.
The secretariat was to be established to collect evidence for use by countries that exercise universal jurisdiction.
The secretariat was to comprise investigators and lawyers, among others.. The Office of the Human Rights High Commissioner ha already advertised, calling for applications for the identified new positions. This included one senior legal advisor with experience in criminal justice and/or criminal investigations and prosecutions to co-ordinate the team.
The advisor’s responsibilities included the development of a central repository to consolidate, preserve and analyse information and evidence; co-ordinate the processes of reviewing and sharing of information with national authorities for universal jurisdiction and extraterritorial jurisdiction cases and other accountability purposes in line with relevant United Nations guidelines.
The advisor’s other responsibilities include developing accountability strategy and engage with accountability mechanisms including specialised investigators, prosecutors, judges, and other legal practitioners for information sharing purposes, to promote accountability and advice on the development of accountability strategies; and liaise with other Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), other independent mechanisms and other UN systems to ensure co-ordinated approach.
The new Secretariat was to function under UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet.