Human Rights chief mentions Sri Lanka in UNGA briefing

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet mentioned Sri Lanka while updating the UN General Assembly on the world of the UN Human Rights Council.

Bachelet briefed the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) of the UNGA yesterday (Wednesday) during which delegates raised questions about protections for children, older adults and those living in poverty in a series of interactive dialogues.

She described her Office’s activities related to transitional justice, including for enforced disappearances and missing persons in Sri Lanka, Mexico and Lebanon, as well as in the creation of truth commissions in the Central African Republic, Colombia, Mali and Gambia.

Bachelet said her office has advocated for transitional justice processes on missing persons and enforced disappearance in Lebanon, Mexico and Sri Lanka.

“Pursuant to resolutions of the Human Rights Council, OHCHR initiated an examination of the human rights situation in Belarus and an accountability-related mandate with respect to Sri Lanka (see Council resolutions 46/20 and 46/1 respectively) and continued implementing an evolving mandate on the promotion of accountability regarding the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” she said in her report to the UNGA.

She also said that her office contributed to the strengthening of the implementation of the human rights due diligence policy on United Nations support to non-United Nations security forces in mission and non-mission settings, providing technical assistance, including in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Maldives, Mauritania, Montenegro, the Niger, the Philippines, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Ukraine and Uzbekistan, as well as in Kosovo.