Sri Lanka Rejects UNHRC Resolution; Avoids Counterproductive Vote

Colombo, Oct 9 (PTI) - On Thursday, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath stated that calling for a vote at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding a recently adopted resolution would have been counterproductive for the nation. The resolution, aimed at fostering reconciliation, accountability, and human rights in Sri Lanka, was adopted on Monday without a vote and extended the mandate of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Sri Lanka by two more years. Despite this, Sri Lanka has strongly rejected the resolution.

Herath has come under criticism for not lobbying friendly countries to initiate a vote. Addressing the parliament, he explained that taking a confrontational stance by requesting a vote would have hindered the Sri Lankan government's efforts to resolve an internal issue that had been unnecessarily internationalized by previous administrations.

He highlighted that since 2009, earlier governments had expended considerable state resources by sending officials to lobby for support from UNHRC member countries, even though it was apparent that Sri Lanka would merely face defeats regarding past resolutions.

"They spent millions of public funds on sending ministers and officials to UNHRC member countries to lobby for support. Everything they executed was a media circus, with the predictable outcome of defeat," Herath remarked.

Herath noted the declining support for Sri Lanka among the 47 UNHRC member countries, which had diminished from 15 in 2012 to 11 in 2021.

The resolution adopted this week outlines several key issues, including the need to conduct the long-delayed provincial council elections to enact the 13th amendment of the constitution as well as calls to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and the Online Safety Act.