DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

19 August 2014

Question:  I want to ask about Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and more, if you'll allow.  On Sri Lanka, the President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, met with foreign press today and said he will not grant visas to the panel of inquiry into the war crimes of 2009.  And I wanted to know:  given the Secretary‑General's visit there in 2009 and statements since, what is his response to this public statement by the President?

Spokesman:  Okay, I think as you know and as we've stated here the Secretary‑General fully supports the High Commissioner for Human Rights.  And commends the leadership she's demonstrated to assist Sri Lanka in advancing accountability and reconciliation.  The Secretary‑General encourages Sri Lanka to cooperate with the inquiry led by the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, that was established by the Human Rights Council.  He reiterates the importance for the Government and the people of Sri Lanka to constructively engage with the entire UN system as it would help the country make constant progress development, lasting peace and protection of Human Rights.  One more.

Responding to Rajapaksa’s UN ban, Ban ki-Moon advices to cooperate

20/08/2014

[Stéphane Dujarric, UN photo]

In an direct respond to President Rajapaksa’s statement that ”Sri Lanka will deny visas to United Nations’ investigators probing accusations of war crimes” UN SG Ban ki-Moon’s spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told that the Secretary‑General encourages Sri Lanka to cooperate with the inquiry led by the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, that was established by the Human Rights Council.

He was responding to the question from a journalist that ”on Sri Lanka, the President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, met with foreign press today and said he will not grant visas to the panel of inquiry into the war crimes of 2009. And I wanted to know: given the Secretary‑General’s visit there in 2009 and statements since, what is his response to this public statement by the President?

Stéphane Dujarric reiterates the importance for the Government and the people of Sri Lanka to constructively engage with the entire UN system as it would help the country make constant progress development, lasting peace and protection of Human Rights.

At the same time, countering Rajapaksa regime’s criticism of human rights High Commissioner Navi Pillay regarding the UNHRC Sri Lanka probe, Stéphane Dujarric told media that Secretary‑General fully supports the High Commissioner for Human Rights. And commends the leadership she’s demonstrated to assist Sri Lanka in advancing accountability and reconciliation.

Accountability, Sri Lanka, UNHRC, UNO, War crimes