Govt. rejects call to set up OHCHR Office
UN Office in Colombo to be strengthened instead:
Sri Lanka has agreed to strengthen the existing UN Office in Colombo
in place of setting up a full-fledged OHCHR office in Colombo to monitor
the human rights situation in the country.
Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera said that he did not agree to a
proposal by the High Commissioner but expressed no objection to spruce
up the existing UN Colombo Office, at a media briefing on Friday (18).
High Commissioner Zeid’s recommendation which was under the general
recommendations included in his report on Sri Lanka’s alleged human
rights abuses read: “Invite OHCHR to establish a full-fledged country
presence to monitor the human rights situation, advise on implementation
of the High Commissioner’s recommendations and of all HRC resolutions
and provide technical assistance.”
The report also called on Sri Lanka to be party to the Rome statute
which allows suspected war crime offenders to be brought before the
International Criminal Court (ICC).
Sri Lanka has so far not said anything publicly to this call.
- MF
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