UN begins setting up Working Group to consider recommendations of internal review panel on Sri Lanka

New York: The United Nations has begun the process of setting up of a Working Group to consider the recommendations of the UN Secretary General’s Internal Review Panel on UN actions in Sri Lanka.

The Deputy Secretary-General sent a letter to relevant heads of UN departments, offices, funds and programs this week asking them to nominate representatives to participate in a working group to give careful consideration to the recommendations set out in the Internal Review Panel report, Martin Nesirky, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General said at press briefing Thursday.

Earlier, the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had asked the Deputy Secretary-General to convene this working group and report to him.

The working group is expected to complete its deliberations sometime in the second quarter of next year with options for action and implementation.

These will be reviewed by the Deputy Secretary-General after discussions with relevant heads of the UN system before the findings are presented to the Secretary-General.

The UN Chief set up the Internal Review Panel chaired by Charles Petrie to review the role of the world organisation following the findings of the three-member Panel of Experts appointed by him earlier raised a number of significant issues, including those regarding the United Nations response to the civilian situation in northern Sri Lanka during the bloody final months of the war that ended in May 2009.