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Several new countries have co-sponsored the UK-led Core Group resolution on Sri Lanka, with voting scheduled for 6 October 2022 at the 51st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The UK-led core group comprises the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Canada, Malawi, North Macedonia and Montenegro. The new countries that would join the fray in co-sponsoring the resolution are Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium , Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden and Türkiye.

Last year the resolution was passed on Sri Lanka with 40 countries voting in favour of the resolution 46/1 and it is speculated there would be more countries supporting the resolution this time too. The GoSL rejected that resolution altogether and criticised the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Riths (OHCHR) recommendation of an evidence-gathering mechanism, a measure that was strongly opposed by Sri Lanka.

The Annual Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General has been presented at the Human Rights Council at the 51st session.

The draft of the resolution that would be taken for voting recognised the severe economic crisis that has affected Sri Lanka since late 2021, exacerbated by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and the profound impact that this has had on the people of Sri Lanka, including women-led households.

Also, the draft resolution underscores the importance of addressing the underlying governance factors and root causes that have contributed to that crisis, including deepening militarisation, lack of accountability in governance and impunity for serious human rights violations and abuses, which remains a central obstacle to the rule of law, reconciliation and sustainable peace and development in Sri Lanka.

The Government has held a series of meetings with the UN member countries that have voting rights to vote in favour of the Sri Lankan government.

Currently, the GoSL and the Tamil Diapora are lobbying to favour them at when the resolution is taken up for voting while several international rights groups, like the Human Rights Watch have been pushing for a strong resolution on Sri Lanka to address the alleged human rights violations.

People in 42 countries, including Sri Lanka, faced reprisals and intimidation for cooperating with the UN on human rights, a new report says, highlighting a number of disturbing trends over the past year.

The annual report by the UN Secretary-General details how people – mainly victims of human rights violations, human rights defenders and journalists – suffered reprisals and intimidation by States and non-State actors. This included people being detained, targeted by restrictive legislation and surveilled both online and offline.

All the cases highlighted in the report happened between 1 May 2021 and 30 April 2022 and involved individuals and groups who cooperated with UN human rights mechanisms, or used UN procedures to share information, testimonies and seek redress for human rights violations and abuses.

People who tried to cooperate with the UN or were perceived as doing so were also affected. In a third of the countries named in the report, individuals and groups either refrained from cooperating or only agreed to report their cases anonymously out of fear of reprisals.

“Despite positive developments, including pledges and shared commitments by Member States against reprisals, this report once again shows the extent to which people are pursued and persecuted for raising human rights concerns with the UN. And we know that, shocking though this number is, many cases of reprisals are not even reported,” said Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ilze Brands Kehris.

The surveillance of individuals and groups who cooperate with the UN continued to be reported in all regions with growing evidence of online surveillance and cyberattacks, the report says. The massive digital shift accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic also increased challenges relating to cyber-security, privacy, and access to online spaces.

Another concerning global trend is the use and impact of restrictive legislation that prevents and punishes cooperation with the UN, resulting in some cases of people being sentenced to long prison terms or placed under house arrest. There were recurring and similar allegations of intimidation reported in a number of countries, which could indicate a pattern.

Another global trend is self-censorship, choosing not to cooperate with the UN or doing so anonymously amid concerns for their safety. Increased surveillance and monitoring, as well as the fear of criminal liability, have created what the report terms a “chilling effect” of silence, stopping people from cooperating further with the UN and deterring others from doing so.

As in previous years, the report shows that intimidation and reprisals disproportionally affect certain populations and groups, including representatives of indigenous peoples, minorities or those who work on environment and climate change issues, as well as people who may suffer discrimination based on age, sexual orientation and gender.

“The risks affecting women victims, as well as women human rights defenders and peace builders, who share testimony and cooperate with the UN remain daunting. We will continue to work to ensure that all can safely engage with the UN,” Brands Kehris stressed as she presented the report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The 42 States referred to in the report (which covers the period from 1 May 2021 to 30 April 2022) are: Afghanistan, Andorra, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Brazil, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Laos People’s Democratic Republic, Libya, Maldives, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Philippines, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, State of Palestine, Thailand, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Viet Nam, and Yemen.

Addressing the 55th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank’s Board of Governors in the Philippines on Thursday, the Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that apart from domestic factors, geopolitical developments have also contributed to the economic crisis being faced by Sri Lanka.

Wickremesinghe noted that as this global rivalry intensifies into a new cold war by 2050, the inability of the major countries to give leadership to the mitigation of the global climate change crisis will become more apparent.

“As they say in many of our countries, when the elephants fight, it is the grass that is crushed. This is the predicament of many of our member countries. Therefore, we must overcome geopolitical rivalries to address the major threats to our existence, otherwise we will all fail leading to instability in our region reminiscent of Europe after World War I. On the other hand, our ability to successfully meet these challenges will lead to remarkable progress in raising the living standards of our people through the rise of the economies of our member countries,” the Lankan President said.

The ADB’s Strategy 2030 seeks to respond to global challenges, including climate change and natural disasters, food and energy insecurity, whilst also embracing opportunities in the digital economy, sustainable energy, and leveraging technology for inclusive education and healthcare, the President noted.

“The ADB has a crucial role in helping to shape and finance policies that improve people’s lives and livelihoods across Asia and the Pacific.”

The sky is the limit for the partnership between India and Sri Lanka, India’s High Commissioner Gopal Baglay said on Thursday as he emphasised the importance of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme in overall bilateral ties.

The High Commission of India in Colombo celebrated ITEC Day 2022 to mark 58 years of capacity-building partnership between India and Sri Lanka through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC).

Sri Lankan Minister of Education Susil Premajayantha and Secretary to the Ministry of Education Nihal Ranasinghe graced the occasion as the Chief Guest and the Guest of Honour, respectively.

“High Commissioner emphasised the importance of #ITEC cooperation in the overall India-Sri Lanka partnership and remarked that “sky is the limit” for the bilateral partnership,” the Indian High Commission tweeted.

The ITEC network in Sri Lanka is ever-growing with more than 400 slots offered every year. Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) is a bilateral assistance programme run by the Government of India.

It is a demand-driven, response-oriented programme that focuses on addressing the needs of developing countries through innovative technological cooperation between India and the partnering nation.

Baglay also noted India’s endeavour to help Sri Lanka in the education sector, including in higher education through partnerships between higher education institutes in India and Sri Lanka, the Colombo Gazette newspaper reported.

India and Sri Lanka are to increase cooperation in education and skills training, he said.

The event was attended by over 100 participants, which included ITEC alumni from Sri Lanka, officials and professionals from diverse sectors who have participated in various training courses in India under ITEC programmes.

In his address, Premajayantha lauded the historically close relations between India and Sri Lanka for more than 2000 years.

He appreciated India for the ITEC slots and the annual scholarships offered to Sri Lankan nationals and thanked India for the financial support extended to Sri Lanka in recent months.

India has extended bilateral assistance amounting close to USD 4 billion this year to Sri Lanka.

Besides the current 402 ITEC slots, around 700 scholarships are offered to Sri Lankan nationals every year, the newspaper said.

The minister highlighted the scope for further cooperation between India and Sri Lanka in the field of higher education, skill development and capacity building, especially from India’s STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and IT sectors.

He also referred to the comprehensive National Education Policy of India and its benefits for students and educators.

The participants shared their experiences of ITEC training in India and appreciated the holistic content of the different ITEC programmes.

Source: PTI

China has the honour of being Sri Lanka’s closest buddy in the past decades Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardana said yesterday while heaping his praise on the 73rd national day of the People’s Republic of China.

He stated that China has been a genuine friend that stood in times of trials, challenges and success for the sake of the people of this country.

Even in the current situation, China has further assured to help us with investment and extend its cooperation to uplift tourism and in other fields.

“The new trade agreements that we committed at the discussion table would yield good results and fetch success in the coming months. The Chinese have laid the foundation to become the global giant by gaining top recognition and by striking a perfect balance in the global arena.” the prime minister said.

China is honoured for its rapid and balanced progress in political, social, and economic power; cultural, scientific, and technological environmental research; and space exploration, he said.

China is a true and a powerful global leader. Especially through its leadership and extending its hand to the Asian, African and Latin American countries and the contribution it makes towards the prosperity of all nations across the globe.