Govt. to implement National Human Rights Action Plan

By Uditha Jayasinghe

In an attempt to prepare for the upcoming United Nations sessions, the Sri Lankan Government is implementing a Human Rights action plan, a Minister said on Thursday. 

The Sri Lankan Government is carrying out a voluntary pledge given at the Universal Periodic Review meeting at the United Nations Human Rights Council sessions in 2008, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told media.

This pledge has resulted in the drawing up and implementation of the National Human Rights Action Plan (NHRAP).

“The Government considers it important to implement the Human Rights Action Plan to enable our successful engagement with several international human rights organisations, especially the UNHRC,” he said. 

The NHRAP is also part of Sri Lanka’s preparation for the second cycle of the Universal Periodic Review in October 2012 by the United Nations (UN).

The Minister remarked that the NHRAP was formulated to give public a forum to present their grievances to so that they would be protected even if the authorities did not act.

He made these statements while referring to the alleged abduction of two JVP activists in Jaffna but refrained from making any comments regarding Government responsibility, even though it was stated in Parliament that they were being illegally held.  

Since the end of the three-decade war in 2009, Sri Lanka has come under fire for war crimes during the last phase of the conflict and extensive abuse of human rights, which the Government has staunchly denied.

However, there is increased pressure from the international community for the Government to present progress on accountability at the next UN General Assembly sittings in March 2012.