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Geneva, 28 February 2020 - "We urge this Council to hold Sri Lanka accountable to its obligations under international law. Given this week’s announcement that the new Government will not continue to engage with the clear framework agreed through resolution 30/1; the failure of past domestic reconciliation and accountability mechanisms; and the ongoing compromise of the rule of law as pointed out by the High Commissioner yesterday, we call on the Council to establish an international accountability mechanism on Sri Lanka," eight International Human Rights organisation stated today in a  Joint Oral Statement at the ongoing 43rd session of the Human Rights Council.

Geneva, 28 February 2020 - "One of the challenges the country faces is the lack of equality amongst religious communities especially when Article 9 of the Constitution explicitly guarantees Buddhism the foremost place and mandates the State with the duty to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana. The provision is almost equivalent to Buddhism being made the official religion of the State," UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief Mr. Ahmed Shaheed says in a report submitted to the UN Human Rights Council's ongoing 43rd session.

Geneva, 27 February 2020 - The Europian Union in a statement today at the UN Humann Rights Council's 43rd session expressed concern that the government of Sri Lanka no longer supports the framework of Resolution 30/1 to address the legacy of the past conflict and to foster accountability, reconciliation and human rights with the support of the Council. It called on the government of Sri Lanka to maintain a sustainable and durable reconciliation process, including by ensuring the continued work of the Office for Missing Persons and the Office for Reparations, by replacing the Prevention of Terrorism Act, and through confidence-building measures.

Geneva, 27 February 2020 - Canada, Germany, North Macedonia, Montenegro and the UK, the Core Group on Sri Lanka, in a joint statement expressed deep disappointment and concern that the Sri Lanka government has changed its approach to the UNHRC resolution. "We remain profoundly committed to resolution 30/1 and its principles of reconciliation, accountability, intercommunal harmony, and justice for victims of conflict," they said.

They also shared the High Commissioner’s concern at the growing number of reports of harassment and surveillance of human rights defenders and victims of human rights violations in Sri Lanka. "The protection of civil society, independent media and human rights institutions from intimidation remains critical to fulfill Sri Lanka’s commitment to a free and open democratic society, both in the build up to, and beyond the upcoming Parliamentary elections," they stated.

Geneva, 27 February 2020 - Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena for the second day making a statement at the UN Human Rights Council refuted the allegations mentioned in the High Commissioners report.

Geneva, 26 February 2020 -  Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, addressing the 43^rd Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva today, announced Sri Lanka’s decision to withdraw from co-sponsorship of Resolution 40/1 on ‘Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka’ which also incorporates and builds on preceding Resolutions 30/1 of October 2015 and 34/1 of March 2017.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms. Michelle Bachelet encourages the Government of Sri Lanka to fully implement resolution 30/1 and continue to engage positively with OHCHR and United Nations human rights mechanisms to promote reconciliation, accountability and human rights as critical elements for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. She in a report urges the Human Rights Council to sustain its close monitoring of and engagement on developments in Sri Lanka.

GENEVA (27 March 2019) — UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet said Wednesday that a newspaper article quoting a senior Sri Lankan official "seriously misrepresents" her discussion of the recent UN Human Rights Office report1 on Sri Lanka with a Government delegation attending the Human Rights Council in Geneva on March 20. "Neither of these claims are true," Bachelet said. "Either the newspaper misunderstood the Governor, or the Governor misunderstood – or misquoted – me." The High Commissioner said she stands fully behind her report and the oral statement at the UNHRC. "I am deeply disappointed by the spin that has been put on my discussion with the Sri Lankan Government delegation," she said, noting that other news outlets in Sri Lanka were also continuing to significantly misrepresent the Human Rights Council process in Geneva.

GENEVA, March 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Australian Tamil Congress (ATC), the British Tamils Forum (BTF), the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC), the Irish Tamils Forum (ITF), the New Zealand Tamil Society (NZTS), and the US Tamil Political Action Council (USTPAC) acknowledge the passing of the resolution 'Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka' (40/1) at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), and thank the Council members who worked towards it.

23 March 2019 - "New UN Human Rights Council resolution must be followed with clear timeline for action," Freedom from Torture said after the UNHRC's new resolution on Sri Lanka. 

22 March 2019 -The adoption of the draft UN Human Rights Council Resolution 40/L.1 is an important step in the pursuit of justice for the victims of alleged international crimes during Sri Lanka’s decades-long internal conflict. It is disappointing, however, that the final text of the resolution failed to address Sri Lanka’s failure to meet its commitments to date.

Geneva, 21 March 2019 - "The resolution encourages Sri Lanka to accelerate its efforts to achieve full implementation of its 2015 undertakings and to set out a time-bound implementation plan to help it to make progress.

Geneva, 20 March 2019 -  "When Sri Lanka's most top leaders so consistently rejected criminal accountability, it is amply clear that the UNHRC is not going to deliver on the core demand of Tamil victims. Would the High Commissioner agree, at least now that it is ten years since the end of the war, that the only possibility for the Tamil victims to seek criminal justice is by refering Sri Lanka to the ICC or by setting up an ad hoc international criminal tribuna," Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) Leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam said yesterday at the Interactive dialogue on the OHCHR rep

Geneva, 20 March 2019 - Amnesty International, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, Human Rights Watch, International Commission of Jurists, International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) and Lawyers' Rights Watch Canada - Oral Statements today at the Interactive dialogue on the OHCHR report on Sri Lanka, at the 40th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Geneva, 20 March 2019 - "La Suisse salue l’ouverture du bureau pour la recherche des personnes disparues et l’adoption d’une loi instituant un mécanisme de réparations. Elle reste toutefois préoccupée par des retards dans la mise en œuvre des mesures de réconciliation et déplore l’absence totale de mesures de sensibilisation expliquant à la population le lien entre traitement du passé, paix durable et prospérité économique.

Geneva, 20 March 2019 - "Ireland is pleased to note the steps taken by the Government of Sri Lanka to implement Resolutions 30/1 and 34/1. We appreciate that the Government has continued to engage constructively with UN human rights mechanisms in the period under review. Although progress has been made, much remains to be done.

Geneva, 20 March 2019 - "We share the High Commissioner’s concern about the slow rate of the progress in establishing meaningful transitional justice measures. This has engendered mistrust among victims and other stakeholders. Liechtenstein calls upon Sri Lanka to take necessary measures to fully implement the transitional process outlined in the Council’s resolution 30/1, especially in the field of criminal accountability where no substantial progress had been achieved.