Lanka to outline HR measures at UNHRC

by Manjula FERNANDO

The Sri Lankan team in Geneva ahead of the UN Human Rights Council sessions is consolidating support from friendly nations in a bid to portray the country's true image and dissuade possible attempts to discredit the country, a senior official from Geneva told Sunday Observer yesterday.

The official said the team headed by Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe met heads of all regional groups; Western, Asian, African, East Europe and the Latin America to brief them on the peace dividends, especially the rehabilitation, resettlement and development initiatives in the country.

"Our objective is to brief the international community on the developments taking place within Sri Lanka so as to counter the disinformation campaign of the LTTE remnants," he said.

Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva and Attorney General Mohan Peiris are the other key members of the Lankan delegation. The official said Ambassador Kshenuka Seneviratne too was associated with the meetings.

He said Sri Lanka was prepared to have a genuine dialogue with the international community and an event has been scheduled on the sidelines of the council sessions to take up concerns of Member States on Wednesday.

The key team members and a group of resource personnel from Sri Lanka, experts on different subjects will be made available to answer or clarify any query ranging from resettlement, human rights, development, Humanitarian operation, re-integration of ex-combatants and child soldiers.

The official said this will be a good opportunity to brief them on the massive economic development that has taken place in the North and the East, as well.

The team also had an extensive briefing with the heads of Non Aligned Movement (NAM) last week.

Minister Samarasinghe will address the inaugural session tomorrow. He will meet the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay.

In the speech he is expected to appraise the Progress of the LLRC and National Action Plan on the Promotion and Protection of the Human Rights, which is before the Cabinet now, among other things.

The 17th Human Rights Council regular sessions will be held from 30 May to 17 June at Palais des Nations in Geneva.