Bob Last backs Zeid’s decision on Sri Lanka

In his latest BLOG, Senior Human Rights Advisor to UK Mission Human Rights Team in Geneva, Bob Last, says that it seems right to give the new Government a bit more time on human rights report as he sees signs of positive commitment, but there is much to do to achieve reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka.

“The international investigation which was set up last March by a group of countries including the UK had been due to report on its findings this month. 

But following Presidential elections in January, the new Sri Lankan government has committed to cooperate with mechanisms of the Council and to move forward  on a domestic process of accountability for violations. 

In response, High Commissioner Zeid, as head of the international investigation, recommended that the Council take up the Sri Lanka report in September instead.
 
Given the apparent change in approach, it seems right to give the new Government a bit more time and having spent last March working almost entirely on Sri Lanka, I’m happy to see signs of positive commitment. 

But there is much to do to achieve reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka: as my colleague in Colombo, Laura Davies, saw on a recent visit to the north of country, the scale of the challenges that remain is enormous,” Last asserted.