Lanka to co-sponsor UN resolution

Thursday, 2 March 2017 00:50 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Dharisha Bastians in Geneva

Sri Lanka will co-sponsor a resolution led by the US and the core group at the 34th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Government confirmed in Geneva yesterday.

Secretary General of the Secretariat for Coordinating Reconciliation Mechanisms Mano Tittawela told Daily FT in Geneva that the Government would submit a resolution together with the US, UK and Montenegro that it hopes would provide more time for implementation of UNHRC resolution 30/1 which was adopted by the Council in October 2015.

The Government hoped the new draft resolution would give Sri Lanka a two year extended time-frame to implement the 2015 resolution, Tittawella said.

A draft resolution led by the US and the core group of sponsors of Sri Lanka resolutions at the UNHRC is likely to be in circulation next week, Daily FT learns. At least one informal session will be held on the draft resolution on Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s decision to co-sponsor the 2015 resolution proved controversial, with Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera alluding to this fact in his statement before the Council on Tuesday.