The Foreign Ministry has said that several countries, during the interactive dialogue on the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Report on Sri Lanka, questioned the measures adopted by the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in respect of accountability issues.

Representatives of 55 countries spoke during the interactive dialogue and a large majority of them urged the Council to acknowledge the economic recovery measures, stabilisation of democratic institutions, social protection measures, progress achieved through the domestic institutions on reconciliation, as well as the continued and constructive engagement of Sri Lanka with the Human Rights Council and the OHCHR.

Countries also questioned the viability and utility of the so-called “Sri Lanka Accountability Project”, calling it “unjustified”, “inconsistent with the provisions of the UN Charter”, and “divorced from the complexities of the situation on the ground” and “counterproductive”.

UNHRC’s 57th sessions commenced in Geneva on Sept. 09.

The countries commended the progress made by Sri Lanka in the past two years, including stabilizing the economy, social protection measures, as well as the continued efforts to promote national unity and reconciliation, through domestic processes.

Speaking as the country concerned following the presentation of the OHCHR report, Sri Lanka´s Permanent Representative in Geneva, Ambassador Himalee Arunatilaka, said that while strengthening the economy for the prosperity of all Sri Lankans is a priority for the Government, Sri Lanka continues to make progress on national unity and reconciliation. Continued efforts through domestic processes, including the Office on Missing Persons (OMP), Office for Reparations (OR), Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR), the Office for Overseas Sri Lankans and the Interim Secretariat for the Truth and Reconciliation Mechanism (ISTRM) were highlighted, while details were provided in the Government’s written response to the OHCHR Report.