U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Susan E. Rice today said the UN Human Rights Council took strong action to promote a durable, just and equitable peace in Sri Lanka.
On her remarks at the Adoption of the Human Rights Council Resolution on Sri Lanka in DC, Ms. Rice said the resolution adopted convincingly today promotes reconciliation and accountability after decades of terrorism and civil war.
“Through this resolution, a broad and diverse coalition of the international community sends a powerful message to the Government of Sri Lanka that the time for concrete action is now.” -Ms. Rice
The resolution welcomes the constructive recommendations in the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission, while acknowledging the need to address key issues of accountability, Ms. Rice highlighted.
The resolution also calls upon the Government of Sri Lanka to present a plan to implement the recommendations and address alleged violations of international law.
To advance these efforts, the resolution encourages the UN to offer advice and technical assistance to Sri Lanka, she added.
“We welcome these next steps and the United States stands ready to support the government and the people of Sri Lanka as they move forward with these important efforts.” -Ms. Rice
By a vote of 24 in favour, 15 against and 8 abstentions, the Council adopted a resolution urging Sri Lanka to investigate potential human rights abuses committed during its 26-year-long civil war.
On September 2011, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has sent the report of his panel of experts on accountability issues during the final stages of the civil war in Sri Lanka to the United Nations human rights chief and the President of the Human Rights Council.
The report of the three-member panel, which was released in April, found there were credible reports that both Government forces and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had committed war crimes in the months leading up to May 2009, when Government forces declared victory over the separatists.
