UN HR boss here next month [January 24 2016]

by Manjula Fernando

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein is due to visit Colombo in mid February, before the HRC's March regular sessions this year. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said his visit mid next month has been confirmed. Arrangements for his visit will be handled by the UN office in Colombo. An advanced team which came prior to UN High Commissioner Navi Pillai's visit in September 2012 is not expected for Zeid, the spokesman said.

Zeid has commended the government but maintained that there were many unresolved issues connected to the conflict which ended in May 2009. "The government did not alter the stance on cooperation with the investigation, nor did it admit the investigation team into the country. However, it has engaged more constructively with me and my office on possible options for accountability and reconciliation," he said, presenting a report on Sri Lanka last September.

His September 2015 proposal to set up an 'ad hoc hybrid special court, integrating international judges, prosecutors, lawyers and investigators mandated to try notably war crimes and crimes against humanity,' still stands. He proposed this special court should have its own independent investigative and prosecuting organ, defence office and a witness and victims protections program.

The High Commissioner is expected to raise the issues of occupied land, detainees and woes of the displaced and the proposed domestic mechanism to investigate war crimes allegations during his forthcoming visit.