#HRC40

Image: Sri Lanka Attorney at Law Ameer Faaiz ( on right) made the intervention behalf of IMADR and FI. Thank you, Mr. President. I was here, with you, a year ago, sharing my dismay at the terrible events that were taking place in Sri Lanka, my country, in March 2018. You will recall, violent mobs led […]

The UN Resolution 30/1 on Sri-Lanka was adopted by the Council along with the co-spon-sorship of Sri-Lanka to ensure truth, justice, reparation and non-recurrence based on the inter-national human rights law and international humanitarian law. But the Sri-Lankan government has given up these international standards and the objectives of the Resolution 30/1 and uses it […]

by Needhiyin Kural’ Krishna. “The day a war hero goes and commits murder, he is no longer a war hero. He is then only a murderer. He has to be brought before Sri Lankan law and given maximum punishment in Sri Lankan courts” – Defence Ministry Secretary Hemasiri Fernando (21 January 2019) While demand for accountability […]

The commitments made by the Government of Sri Lanka four years ago at the UNHRC session in Geneva have had lasting impressions on its citizens. While some perceive the commitments of Resolution 30/1 (Res 30/1) as an international obligation that threatens our sovereignty or a political tool and a box ticking process, others even view […]

Image: When will Sri Lanka respond to the mothers waiting  for a decade to find answers on their disappeared children? (c) Vikalpa. (Daily Mirror 14′.03 .19) Sri Lanka will not agree to what is written in the UNHRC report and will express its opinion, Minister of Foreign Affairs Tilak Marapana told parliament today. Responding to a […]

Are we beginning to see a new trend in Presidential Governance? What exactly will the special Presidential Trio sent to the United Nations Human Rights Council – UNHCR – in Geneva do? Will Dr. Sarath Amunugama, Mr. Mahinda Samarasinghe and Northern Governor Dr. Suren Raghavan, be a rival team to the official Sri Lankan diplomatic […]

(Asian Mirror 06.03.19)President Maithripala Sirisena said UPFA MPs Mahinda Samarasinghe, Dr. Sarah Amunugama and Northern Province Governor Dr. Suren Raghavan will attend the 40th season of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva as his own representatives. Addressing a meeting with media heads this morning, President Sirisena said his representatives would make an […]

(The Island/03.04, 2019,) A delegation consisting of representatives of at least four Tamil political parties is scheduled to head for Geneva to lobby the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for an international mechanism to speed up investigations into alleged human rights violations and accountability issues. The delegation would also request the appointment of a UN […]

Image: Ambassador A.L.A. Azeez. (Ceylon Today/29. 02/19) There will be no Government delegation flying to Geneva, Switzerland to be present at the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (HRC) 40th Session, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) informed Ceylon Today. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saroja Sirisena said that after a discussion held in this regard, the MFA had adviced […]

27 February 2019 Human Rights Council 40th session: draft resolution Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka The Human Rights Council, PP1 Reaffirming the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, PP2 Guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants on Human Rights and other relevant instruments, […]

(26 February 2019 / Daily Mirror) Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said he submitted a Cabinet memorandum asking for general amnesty to all those who are accused of war crimes – both from the armed forces and the LTTE. In an interview with Daily Mirror, he said it was inappropriate to single out […]

President says troops did not commit war crimes; his proposal being studied by Foreign Ministry. Sri Lanka is considering withdrawing its co-sponsorship of the United States backed resolution at the Geneva-based Human Rights Council which wants the government to address accountability issues, including alleged violations of human rights during the final phase of the military […]

(Daily FT 13.02.19) Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris yesterday said that if the party manages to form a government in the future, they would present a resolution to the United Nations Human Right Council (UNHRC) to counter the resolution that Sri Lanka co-sponsored in 2015. The Government is preparing to make […]

Image: UK Ambassador to UN, Julian Braithwaite at the Human Rights Council organisational meeting yesterday. ( photo credit @JulianUNWTO) UK Statement:Human Rights Council organisational meeting held on 11 Feb 2019. I would like to refer to 4 initiatives which the UK will present as part of core groups. These are three resolutions and one joint statement. Firstly, […]