Vote on new resolution on human rights situation in Sri Lanka today

 

The vote in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on the new resolution on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka is scheduled to take place yesterday (Oct. 06). 

The final draft of the new resolution on Sri Lanka was submitted to the 51st UNHRC session in Geneva yesterday (Oct. 05) along with the UN Human Rights High Commissioner’s report on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka on Wednesday (Oct. 05). 

The draft resolution, titled ‘Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka’ was initially sponsored by the Core Group on Sri Lanka including the UK, US, Germany, Canada, Malawi, Montenegro and North Macedonia. The draft requests the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to enhance its monitoring and reporting on the situation of human rights in Sri Lanka, including on progress in reconciliation and accountability and on the human rights impact of the economic crisis and corruption. 

However, whatever the vote result Sri Lanka will stand firm against the new UNHRC resolution, he said speaking to the media from Geneva. “We will not allow external forces to tell us how to manage our economy, we have taken our own measures for economic recovery,” Sabry told reporters through a video link from Geneva where he is attending the 51st session of the UNHRC. 

Asked if Sri Lanka was tolerant of international mediation on resolving the economic crisis while opposing international mechanisms on human rights protection, Sabry said the island was having friendly cooperation on its economic recovery when the countries, mostly the West, tended to interfere in the human rights front.