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| UNHRC sessions: File pix |
A group of human rights advocacy groups and watchdogs urged Permanent Representatives of Member and Observer States of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland to renew the mandates of the OHCHR for two more years on Sri Lanka.
The collective body of outfits which includes: Amnesty International, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), Franciscans International, Human Rights Watch, International Commission of Jurists, International Working Group on Sri Lanka, and Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace & Justice urged to take action at the ongoing 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council to extend, by at least two years, the mandates of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and its Sri Lanka Accountability Project – established by resolution 46/1 (2021) and extended under resolution 51/1 (2022).
"It is important that the mandate is renewed for at least two years, consistent with the previous renewal, to ensure that the Accountability Project on Sri Lanka has the resources, capacity and stability to fulfill its role," the letter reads.
The global advocacy organizations also pointed out that fifteen years since the defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2009, there has been no justice, truth or reparation for large-scale violations amounting to grave crimes under international law committed by forces on either side in Sri Lanka’s 26-year internal armed conflict.
"Some alleged perpetrators on the government side now hold high office, while victims and survivors face ongoing repression and rights violations. This legacy of impunity, which facilitated corruption, contributed to the economic crisis that has gripped the country since 2022. Human rights defenders and civil society groups are facing threats from the authorities throughout the country, and the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Sri Lankans - such as freedoms of expression and association - are under assault," the letter said.
Extending the mandate established by resolution 46/1 is vital to enable the Sri Lanka Accountability Project to complete its work, and to maintain regular OHCHR reporting to the Human Rights Council, the organizations observed.
"To do otherwise – while the government of Sri Lanka has made no progress towards upholding its obligations including towards accountability, and amid a continuing crackdown on human rights – would disincentivize adherence to international human rights law, and betray the many victims of grave human rights violations and abuses and their families who, in the absence of domestic accountability, look to the United Nations for justice, truth and reparation," (Northeastern Monitor/ September 10/2024)
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