Govt. To Brief Of Progress In HR And Reconciliation

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Mahinda Samarasinghe

The government is to brief the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) about the progress made with regard to the human rights concerns and the reconciliation process in Sri Lanka at the UNHRC sessions in Geneva.
The sessions are to commence on February 27 and are to continue till March 23.
Plantation Industries Minister and the President’s Special Envoy for Human Rights, Mahinda Samarasinghe, who would represent the country at the sessions, said that Sri Lanka would address the UNHRC sessions and report on the progress made in the human rights and reconciliation fronts.
He told The Sunday Leader that the Sri Lankan delegation would also separately engage in a dialogue with members of the foreign diplomatic community who would be in Geneva during the period of the sessions.
When asked if the government would present the final report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) to the UNHRC as part of the progress made in the reconciliation process in the country, Samarasinghe said the report would not be presented to the Council.
“There is no necessity to hand over the LLRC report to the UNHRC as it not part of its agenda,” he noted.
However, he added that the Sri Lankan government was ready to respond to questions raised on the matter.
“If reference is made to the report during the sessions, Sri Lanka will take the floor and address the matter,” Samarasinghe observed.
The Minister said the Sri Lankan government was prepared to engage and brief the UNHRC comprehensively about the situation in the country.