UNHRC urged to acknowledge Sri Lanka’s gains amid challenges

Sri Lanka has urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to accord due recognition to the gains made by Sri Lanka amidst numerous challenges, including the coordinated terror attacks on Easter Sunday that claimed the lives of hundreds of locals as well as foreigners.

Deputy Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva, Dayani Mendis, addressing the 42nd Session of the Human Rights Council on 11 September 2019 on behalf of the island nation, briefly highlighted key points of the progress made by Sri Lanka towards reconciliation, development and protection and promotion of human right during the past few years.

Referring to the follow-up report of the Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances on the implementation of the recommendations made after its visit to Sri Lanka in 2015, she said Sri Lanka’s progress, despite the many challenges that arose over the past few years, manifests the strong commitment that the island nation has maintained, and continues to maintain, to advance the practices that ensure human rights for all.

Mendis said the Working Group was as part of the Government’s policy of open and constructive engagement with all UN human rights mechanisms, an approach that was further manifested only a month after the Working Group’s visit, when Sri Lanka extended a standing invitation to all special procedure mandate holders in December 2015.

“We are pleased to note that, in keeping with this policy, since 2015, Sri Lanka has received 10 UN special procedure mandate holders, with one more visit scheduled for October this year,” her statement remarked.

The implementation of many of the actions recommended by these mandate holders, as oriented to our national priorities, has been in the forefront of Sri Lanka’s path towards reconciliation, development and protection and promotion of human rights in the past few years. This could be noted from the status of implementation by Sri Lanka of a number of recommendations of the Working Group, she said.

The achievements we have just enumerated have been the outcome of measured but steady national processes that involved extensive consultations with all stakeholders, drafting of new legislation, and formulation of new policies. Our national commitment and resolve to make continued progress remain strong despite constraints.

The Constitution of Sri Lanka which comprises the 19th Amendment, which has created several independent institutions as checks and balances on the use of state power, and the laws of the country, inform and underpin actions and decisions of the different arms of the State. Rule of Law has been further strengthened by the recent decisions of the higher judiciary.

She urged the Council to accord due recognition to these gains made by Sri Lanka amidst numerous challenges, including a spate of terrorist attacks that claimed the lives of many hundreds of innocent Sri Lankans as well as foreigners on Easter Sunday this year and that has compelled Sri Lanka to realign its immediate priorities.

“It is important to underscore, however, Sri Lanka’s commitment to principles enabling the proliferation and protection of human rights for all its citizens, even as we face numerous challenges in the post-Easter Sunday context.”