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Friday, 26 September 2014 00:21 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
President Mahinda Rajapaksa and First Lady Shiranthi Wickremasinghe Rajapaksa attended a reception hosted by US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for visiting Heads of State/Government on Tuesday evening in New York City – Official White House Photo
Addressing the 69th General Assembly of the UN on Wednesday Sri Lankan President said in order to gain the confidence and goodwill of the international community as a whole, one of the essential requirements is consistency of standards across the board without any perception of selectivity or discrimination.
“It is in this context that the current functioning of the system needs fresh examination in order to enhance its credibility,” he said.
He charged that some member states use human rights as a tool to implement motivated agendas with no understanding or appreciation of the complexity of issues in the countries concerned and stressed that human rights should be recognised by all as a moral and ethical concept rather than as a political tool.
“External intervention without adequate consideration of the structures in a society and cultural traditions of the countries where such intervention takes place, inevitably results in destabilisation, which is very much in evidence today, in most parts of the world,” he noted.
Strongly criticising the UN Human Rights Council for targeting Sri Lanka, President Rajapaksa said the post-conflict island nation has become an “unfortunate victim” of “ill-conceived agendas” of some in the Human Rights Council who pay scant regard to the substantial progress achieved by Sri Lanka, in reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation within a short span of five years.
“There is an obvious lack of balance and proportion in the manner in which my country is being targeted today, disregarding these significant achievements. This is in sharp contrast with the approach to deeply disturbing situations involving humanitarian emergencies elsewhere,” he pointed out.
The President told the member states that reform of institutions concerned is essential for multilateralism to remain relevant and effective and to be effective, the process must involve de-politicisation of the UN systems and mechanisms and they must stop being hostage to different forms of funding.
He said the UN bodies must find ways to work with governments through dialogue, greater understanding of situations and cooperation including assisting to strengthen national institutions instead of strong arm tactics in the search for sustainable solutions to global challenges.
UNHRC split on Lanka probe by OHCHR
The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) was split yesterday on the push to investigate Sri Lanka for alleged human rights abuses, with some countries backing a UN led investigation while others opposed it.
The European Union (EU) extended firm support to the investigation on Sri Lanka by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and urged the Sri Lankan Government to support the probe.
However a group of ‘like minded countries” objected to attempts to exert pressure on Sri Lanka through the investigation, adding that the investigation did not have the full support of the UNHRC.
Montenegro and Britain were among the countries which supported to the UN led probe on Sri Lanka while China, Russia, Cuba and Venezuela were among the countries which opposed the probe.
Britain said that to achieve lasting peace and reconciliation, the grievances of all those affected by the conflict must be addressed and impunity for human rights violations must come to an end.
The British delegation also raised concerns over the shrinking democratic space, military presence in the North and constrains on freedom of expression.
Ireland said that no one should be subjected to intimidation or reprisals for cooperating with the investigation on Sri Lanka and it also urged Sri Lanka to constructively cooperate with the probe.
“We welcome the positive measures Sri Lanka has introduced thus far which have contributed to the process of reconciliation on the island. However, we call on Sri Lanka to constructively cooperate with the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka. This cooperation entails allowing the team to collect and document victims’ testimonies and the accounts of survivors, witnesses and alleged perpetrators. No one should be subjected to intimidation or reprisals for cooperating with this investigation. In this regard, we recall this Council’s Resolution 24/24 which urges states to prevent and refrain from all acts of intimidation or reprisals against those who seek to cooperate or have cooperated with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights, or who have provided testimony or information to them,” the Ireland delegation to the Council said in its statement with regards to Sri Lanka. (Colombo Gazette)
