Religious freedom expert on UN inquiry team for Lanka
Thursday, 26 June 2014 00:20
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Ex-UN Special Rapporteur Asma Jahangir to serve in supervisory capacity
Pillay formally names Maarti Ahtisari, Silvia Cartwright and Jahangir to supervise Lanka probe
Experts to ‘support, advise and independently verify’ during investigation
Ten days after two southern towns were rocked by religious violence, UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay officially announced the three-member expert advisory group that will supervise the UN investigation into alleged major human rights violations in Sri Lanka, including a Pakistani lawyer who is an expert on freedom of religion issues.
Former UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion, and President of Pakistan’s Supreme Court Bar Association Asma Jahangir, will join two other independent high profile experts who will supervise, advise and independently verify the findings of the UN investigation into Sri Lanka.
High Commissioner Pillay officially announced yesterday that three distinguished experts have agreed to advise and support the team set up to conduct a comprehensive investigation of alleged human rights violations in Sri Lanka, as mandated by the Human Rights Council in March.
As revealed previously by the Daily FT, former Finland President and Nobel Prize Laureate Martti Ahtisaari and former New Zealand Governor General Silvia Cartwright, who also served as an international judge on the Cambodian War Crimes Tribunal that has been trying crimes by the country’s Khmer Rouge regime, will be the other two experts on the Sri Lanka inquiry.
“I am proud that three such distinguished experts have agreed to assist this important and challenging investigation,” the High Commissioner said. “Each of them brings not only great experience and expertise, but the highest standards of integrity, independence, impartiality and objectivity to this task,” Pillay said in an announcement.
“The experts will play a supportive and advisory role, providing advice and guidance as well as independent verification throughout the investigation,” the High Commissioner announced.
Jahangir’s appointment is particularly significant, given the lawyer’s experience in dealing with religious freedom issues, but Pillay’s Office also said she was the previous holder of several Human Rights Council mandates and member of a recent fact-finding body into Israeli settlements. Jahangir has previously submitted a report to the UN on Sri Lanka’s religious issues, during her tenure as Special Rapporteur, following a visit to the island.
Announcing the three experts, Pillay reiterated her call for the Government and people of Sri Lanka to cooperate fully with this investigation which can help shed light on the truth, and advance accountability and reconciliation. “The investigation would still go ahead undeterred if such cooperation was not forthcoming,” Pillay added.
The investigation will look into alleged serious violations and abuses of human rights and related crimes by both parties in Sri Lanka during the last years of the armed conflict, her statement said.
Pillay said the experts will work with an investigation team consisting of 12 staff, including investigators, forensics experts, a gender specialist, a legal analyst and various other staff with specialized skills. It will be operational for a period of 10 months (up to mid-April 2015). The OHCHR investigation team will be headed by senior UN Staffer, Sandra Beidas.
The High Commissioner said the UN Human Rights Council resolution of March 2014 had requested the UN Human Rights Office “to establish the facts and circumstances of such alleged violations, and of the crimes perpetrated, with a view to avoiding impunity and ensuring accountability,” with assistance from relevant experts and special procedures mandate holders.
The resolution requests the Office to present an oral update to the Human Rights Council at its 27th session in September 2014, and a comprehensive report at its 28th session in March 2015.
