UNO

Image: During the final stages of Sri Lanka’s civil war, Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva, center, commanded an army division the United Nations accuses of rights violations.Credit…Ishara S. Kodikara/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images. By Maria Abi-Habib and Dharisha Bastians/Feb. 15, 2020. NEW DELHI — The United States has imposed an entry bar on Sri Lanka’s army chief, Lt. Gen. […]

Speaking at UN Security Council Open Debate on ‘Peacebuilding and sustaining peace: Transitional justice in conflict and post-conflict situations’ on 13 February 2020, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN Mrs. Kshenuka Senewiratne said that ” when seeking mechanisms of transitional justice, related simple theories would need to take cognizance of the various historical, […]

Image: In March 2017 Ai Weiwei launched  a massive sculpture featuring 70 metre long boat with 258 refugees (www.creativeboom.com) An overview of the definition of refugee status under the Refugee Convention, 1951. The language of a legislation or convention is significant since it is the basis for claiming rights and making significant decisions. Notably, the definition […]

Statement by the United Nations in Sri Lanka on the prevailing situation in the country. 2019 May 14 (Colombo, Sri Lanka) – The United Nations in Sri Lanka is concerned about emerging incidents of communal violence and tension in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks. The United Nations calls on the Government and […]

Joint Statement by Adama Dieng, United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, and Karen Smith, United Nations Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect, on attacks against religious minorities in Sri Lanka . (New York, 13 May 2019) Recalling their recent statements against violent extremism and hate speech, the United Nations Special Adviser on […]

Dhathusen yahapalana. (A paralegal apprentice) According to news reports, former Defence Secretary and Presidential aspirant Gotabaya Rajapaksa is facing two civil suits in separate cases linked to events in Sri Lanka during his term in office in the US federal district court in California. One is a suit filed by Ahimsa Wickrematunge who is seeking […]

The Delegation of the European Union (EU) issues the following statement in agreement with the Embassies of France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Romania and the UK High Commission, the Embassies of Norway and Switzerland, as well as the High Commissions of Canada and Australia. The Government of Sri Lanka has recently taken measures towards resuming executions […]

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s main minority Tamil party demanded Friday that foreign judges be included in a special court to investigate war crimes, a day after the UN again granted Colombo more time for a much-delayed probe. Government troops have been accused of killing at least 40,000 ethnic Tamil civilians in the final months of the island […]

Image: File photo of alt-Sinahala nationalist demo against international involvement  in a justice mechanism. (20/03/ 2019 Geneva) The ICJ today called at the UN for prompt establishment of a judicial accountability mechanism with international involvement, for Sri Lanka.The statement, delivered during an interactive dialogue on the OHCHR report on Sri Lanka at the Human Rights […]

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (UNFPA/1 Mar 2019): “I was travelling in a bus when the man seated next to me started to touch my thigh, while he was pretending to sleep. When I confronted him, I knew he would try to escape, especially since he had already made several such attempts. This is not the first […]

Image : (c) S.Deshapriya. REMARKS BY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL ON THE OCCASION OF THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GENEVA ASSOCIATION OF UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENTS. (25 February 2019/ Geneva) Your excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, Dear journalists, It is an honour and pleasure to be back here with you today to mark the 70th anniversary of the Geneva Association […]

New York/10 November 2018. Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on developments in Sri Lanka. The Secretary-General learned with concern of President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision to dissolve Sri Lanka’s parliament and move to new parliamentary elections on 5 January 2019. The Secretary-General underlines the utmost importance of respecting democratic processes and institutions and resolving differences in accordance […]

ECONOMYNEXT – The United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has expressed concern over Sri Lanka’s political crisis and has asked for democracy and constitution to be respected, his spokesman said. “The Secretary-General is following the latest developments in Sri Lanka with great concern,”  Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General said in a statement. “He calls […]

Since 2012, several landmark resolutions have been approved by various UN bodies on the issue of the safety of journalists. IFEX’s 5-minute guide explains what they are, and how civil society can use them to keep governments accountable. This is one in a series of IFEX explainers aimed at strengthening the ability of civil society […]

(26 Sep 2018)President Maithripala Sirisena called upon the international community to look at Sri Lanka with a fresh perspective and consider the tremendous progress made by the government towards reconciliation, restoration of democratic freedoms, human rights and the rule of law and extend the fullest support to the build a progressive, democratic, free and equal […]

The Northern Provincial Council (NPC) has passed a resolution calling upon member countries of the UN to conduct a UN monitored referendum in the North-East region of the island to determine the political preference of the Tamil speaking people towards finding a permanent political solution. The resolution was tabled by council member M.K. Shivajilingam, seconded […]

Image: TNA – GTF members with the US Amb Kelley Currie at the US Mission in New York. A joint delegation of TNA and GTF visited the United States of America at the time when Sri Lanka has been under scrutiny at the UN in Geneva, with appointments secured from the relevant highest levels of authority […]

Image: UNHRC , Geneva ©s.dehapriya. His Excellency the High Commissioner of Human Rights and to the participants of the 37th Sessions of the UN Human Rights Council! UN’s Participation is Necessary in the Implementation of Transitional Justice Mechanisms of Sri-Lanka. The Government of Sri Lanka cosponsored the Resolution 30/1 which was adopted in the United Nations […]

Image: United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman meeting with TNA. ( Asian tribune) On March 11, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman concluded a three-day visit to Sri Lanka. His trip was planned as part of the ongoing strong engagement between the Government and people of Sri Lanka and the United Nations. […]

Image: Jeffrey Feltman addresses a press conference in Colombo on March 3, 2015.  LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP/GETTY/CBS. (AFP) The UN’s political chief on Sunday condemned anti-Muslim violence that has targeted mosques and businesses in Sri Lanka as he wrapped up a three-day visit to the Indian Ocean island-nation. Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman urged the government to […]

Image; Harsha de Silva, Deputy Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs of Sri Lanka ( file photo)   Making the opening statement  at the Third Cycle of the Universal Periodic Review of Sri Lanka- Geneva, on 15 November 2017 by Hon. (Dr) Harsha de Silva, Deputy Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs provided […]

 Families still wait for answers two years after the UN called on Sri Lanka to address war crimes and disappearances. For the last decade, Arulanadam Pushparani has not seen her son, who she says disappeared after being rounded up by security forces during Sri Lanka’s civil war. During the final phases of that conflict, which […]

President Maithripala Sirisena called upon the international community to seriously consider the tremendous progress made by the government towards reconciliation, restoration of democratic freedoms, human rights and the rule of law and extend the fullest support to the slow, but the steady forward march of Sri Lanka to build a progressive, democratic, free and equal […]

Image: Family members of the disappeared during the war continue their protests in Northern Province of Sri Lanka. (c) s.deshapriya. By Kate Cronin-Furman. Early Tuesday morning, news broke that Sri Lanka’s ambassador to Brazil had fled the country. Sri Lanka’s government later announced that his departure was planned, and it was simply the end of his […]

Image: Sri Lanka’s then army chief General Jagath Jayasuriya (C) takes part in a Buddhist ceremony in Anuradhapura on October 2, 2010. RIO DE JANEIRO — Human rights groups in South America are alleging war crimes violations in lawsuits filed against a former Sri Lankan general who is now his Asian nation’s ambassador to Brazil and […]

Image: UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, Ben Emmerson, at a media briefing at the conclusion of his mission to Sri Lanka. Preliminary findings of the visit to Sri Lanka: Colombo (14 July 2017), The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Mr. […]

By Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein. Earlier this month, Britain’s Prime Minister called for human rights laws to be overturned if they were to “get in the way” in the fight against terrorism. Specifically, Theresa May said there was a need “to restrict the freedom and movement of terrorist suspects when we have enough evidence to […]

Image: UN Special Rapporteurs. Mónica Pinto visited Sri Lanka in May 2016 and her report was discussed on 12th June 2017 at UNHRC 35th session. Issuing a statement in t relation to the report prepared by the former UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Mónica Pinto, on her mission to Sri […]

File photo: CESCR in session. The 61st the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights discusses Sri Lanka situation today and tomorrow in Palais Wilson in Geneva today. Sri Lanka government as well as civil society groups have submitted reports for the consideration. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) is the body […]

Women affected by the war Whilst at the forefront of demands for truth and justice, women affected by the war in the North and the East also bear the brunt of economic problems, particularly with the loss of land, livelihoods and economic networks, which are often aggravated by the death or disappearance of men. However, […]