UNHRC resolution on SL adopted without vote

The resolution to extend the mandate of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka was adopted by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) without a vote today. 

The main sponsors of the draft resolution tabled in early September were the United Kingdom, Canada, Malawi, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.  22 other countries, mainly European, joined as co-sponsors before the resolution was finalised. 

The extension of the mandate of the OHCH will keep Sri Lanka under its oversight for the next two years. However, the government will have a breather till September 2027, when the next comprehensive report on the progress on reconciliation, accountability and human rights is due before the UNHRC.

The term of the dedicated OHCHR Sri Lanka accountability project (OSLap) too will be extended by the resolution.

 The project is an evidence-gathering mechanism to develop possible strategies for future accountability processes for gross violations of human rights or serious violations of international humanitarian law in Sri Lanka and to support relevant judicial and other proceedings, including in Member States with competent jurisdiction.

While the new resolution acknowledges the government's anti-corruption efforts as well as its acknowledgement of the harms and sufferings resulting from decades of divisive racist politics and ethnic conflicts in the country, it highlights the urgent need to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act with a moratorium on the use of the law till new legislation is enacted as well as amendment of the On-line Safety Act.

The resolution refers to the identification of multiple mass graves sites in Sri Lanka and emphasizes the need for ongoing work to be provided with adequate resources. It urges the Government of Sri Lanka to seek international support proactively to ensure sufficient financial, human and technical resources to conduct exhumations in accordance with international standards.

It also stresses the need for ongoing work to be provided with adequate resources and the importance of the independent and effective functioning of the Office on Missing Persons and urges the Government to proactively seek international support to ensure sufficient financial, human and technical resources to conduct exhumations in line with international standards as well as seek international assistance to strengthen capacities while investigating and prosecuting some emblematic cases of human rights violations, as well as the Easter Sunday bombings.

It also acknowledges with appreciation the Government’s commitment to establish an independent public prosecutorial body while urging that this be fully independent, effective and robust and encourages the Government to consider the creation of a judicial mechanism with an independent special counsel in relation to the cases of human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law committed in previous decades.