“In the coming months I very much look forward to country visits to both Sri Lanka and Afghanistan” said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mme. Louise Arbour in her closing remarks at the 6th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council held at the Palais de Nations, Geneva, on 13th and 14th September 2007.
Responding to her statement, and the one paragraph references to Sri Lanka in the Statement of the European Union read out by the Ambassador of Portugal (the current president of the EU) during the general debate, Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva said that the visit of the High Commissioner was one of a number of initiatives taken by the Govt of Sri Lanka including visits by two UN Special Rapporteurs and a high level delegation of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). He said that Sri Lanka has proven its willingness to have an open and constructive dialogue with the international community and UN Human Rights mechanisms at a difficult time when a ruthless and continuing terrorist war was being waged against it by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Sri Lankan delegation expressed its serious concern with regard to the recent trend of equating and clustering of countries and putting them in different baskets as a means of expressing the nature of different humanitarian situations in the world on 25th July 2007 under the item 14 (e) of the General Segment of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) being held in Geneva.
Mr. President
My delegation wishes to express deep appreciation to you, for your tireless efforts in preparing a new text on institutional building of the Human Rights Council, which constitutes a good basis for our further work. You may be rest assured of the fullest cooperation of my delegation in achieving a consensual outcome of the entire package of the institutional building process, by the end of the 5th Session.
Mr. Chairman,
The statement of the EU delegation under this Item highlighted human rights concerns in respect of several countries, including Sri Lanka. The Special Rapporteur on Extra Judicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, Mr. Philip Alston, in his introductory statement presenting his report, also referred to Sri Lanka.
We appreciate the Special Rapporteur's abiding interest in Sri Lanka, following his recent official visit to my country and thank the EU delegation, for its support for pursuit of peace and promotion of human rights in my country. My delegation however, would like to take this opportunity to clarify some aspects of all concerns expressed and brief this Committee on recent developments in Sri Lanka.
- Statement by Sri Lanka at the 57th session of the UNHCR Executive Committee – 3 October 2006
- Statement by Delegation of Sri Lanka following Special Rapporteur Mr.Philip Alston’s presentation at the HRC on 19th September,2006
- Statement by Delegation of Sri Lanka following the Presentation of the report of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances