Sri Lanka: New UN Human Rights Council resolution must be followed with clear timeline for action

The United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a new resolution on Sri Lanka: an important step but we need a clear plan.

In Geneva yesterday, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a new resolution on Sri Lanka. This is a continuation of a resolution adopted in 2015 that was intended to promote ‘reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka’. Resolution 40/L.1, which was co-sponsored by Sri Lanka, and adopted yesterday gives the government of Sri Lanka two more years to implement outstanding promises in full, including a judicial mechanism with a special counsel to investigate allegations of violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law and a truth and reconciliation process.

Steve Crawshaw, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Freedom from Torture, said,

“This is an important step to keep the international spotlight on the Sri Lankan government to deliver justice for serious violations, including torture. Alone, though, this resolution will not lead to change. The government must implement its commitments.

Now is the time to act and to present a plan with clear timelines on how it intends to deliver on the repeated promises.”