New UNHRC Resolution on Sri Lanka adopted with majority votes

A new UN Resolution on Sri Lanka 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) today was adopted with majority votes.

At least twenty countries including the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Finland, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland and the Republic of Korea voted in favour of the resolution. 

Seven countries- China, Bolivia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Cuba and Eritrea – had voted against the resolution while India, Japan, Nepal, UAE, Qatar, Libya and Indonesia were among the countries that abstained from voting.

Introducing the resolution, Permanent Representative to the UK in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley said  that 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.

"The draft both recognises the challenges which Sri Lanka has faced during this period and acknowledges progress where this has occurred. It reflects some of the more recent concerns outlined in the High Commissioner’s report, especially the human rights impact of the economic crisis," he said. 

The main requests in the resolution are in Operative Paragraphs (OP) 8 and 18.

OP8 seeks to continue the work initiated in last year’s resolution which created capacity within the Office of the High Commissioner to collect, consolidate, analyse and preserve information to support judicial and other proceedings.

This capacity was set up in response to the lack of progress made by Sri Lanka’s domestic legal mechanisms towards accountability for past alleged gross violations of human rights. Unfortunately, this capacity has only been fully operational since May of this year and so requires more time to complete its mandate. "We are therefore seeking to extend it for a further period as recommended by the former High Commissioner,"