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