FAQ on the UN Human Rights Council Resolution (2014) on Sri Lanka

8/11/2019 FAQ on the UN Human Rights Council Resolution (2014) on Sri Lanka

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FAQ on the UN Human Rights CouncilResolution (2014) on Sri Lana

A

!" Chan#ra $a"aratne % on 0&'0'2014

UN inestigation into allegations o*

iolations o* human rights in Sri Lana is a!out to commence+ As an ai# to

,u!lic #iscussion- Fri#a" Forum sets out !elo. in*ormation to hel, the

general ,u!lic un#erstan# the legal !asis- origin- nature an# sco,e o* thisin/uir"+

1+ hat is the Human Rights Council

he Human Rights Council (HRC) is the main inter%goernmental !o#"

.ithin the Unite# Nations that is res,onsi!le *or the ,romotion an#

,rotection o* human rights .orl#.i#e+ Un#er the UN Charter (.hich is lie
http://groundviews.org/2014/08/30/faq-on-the-un-human-rights-council-resolution-2014-on-sri-lanka/http://groundviews.org/2014/08/30/faq-on-the-un-human-rights-council-resolution-2014-on-sri-lanka/http://groundviews.org/author/chandra-jayaratne/http://groundviews.org/images/groundviewslogo.pnghttp://groundviews.org/author/chandra-jayaratne/http://groundviews.org/2014/08/30/faq-on-the-un-human-rights-council-resolution-2014-on-sri-lanka/http://groundviews.org/2014/08/30/faq-on-the-un-human-rights-council-resolution-2014-on-sri-lanka/


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the Constitution o* the UN)- ,romoting an# encouraging res,ect *or human

rights *or all .ithout #iscrimination is a ma3or ,ur,ose o* the

UN (Article 1+)+ he HRC an# all other human rights institutions an#

,roce#ures .ithin the UN hae !een esta!lishe# in or#er to achiee that

,ur,ose eectiel"+ he HRC consists o* 45 mem!ers- all o* .hom are

6em!er States o* the UN electe# *or a three "ear term !" the UN 7eneral

Assem!l" (UN7A)+ Sri Lana too is a *ormer mem!er o* the HRC+

2+ hat are the ,o.ers o* the Human Rights Council

he Human Rights Council (HRC) succee#e# the UN Commission on Human

Rights .hich cease# to e8ist on 19 $une- 200:+ he HRC .as esta!lishe# !"

UN 7eneral Assem!l" Resolution :0'2;1 o* A,ril- 200:+ Un#er that

Resolution- the HRC is res,onsi!le *or ,romoting res,ect *or human rights

the .orl# oer+ Similarl"- it is o!ligate# to a##ress human rights iolations

an# mae recommen#ations in that regar#+ s o?ce- an# o* the UN


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Secretar" 7eneral+ As the ,rinci,al UN o?cial in charge o* human rights-

the High Commissioner on Human Rights has to ,resent an annual re,ort

on the .orl# situation on human rights+

4+ ho can ,ro,ose an# ote *or a resolution on a s,eci@c countr" in the

HRC

he ,roce#ure to !e *ollo.e# in the HRC is set out in a se,arate resolution-

,o,ularl" re*erre# to as the s

s"stems o* *amil" la. shoul# change to !e in line .ith international

stan#ar#s+ hen countries legall" acce,t international la. stan#ar#s onan" su!3ect (e+g+ ,rotection o* human rights- enironmental ,rotection-

tra#e)- the" are o!ligate# un#er international la. to im,lement those

stan#ar#s at the national leel+ So- State Soereignt" is limite# to the

e8tent that a countr" has un#ertaen !in#ing o!ligations un#er

international la.+


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Sri Lana has un#ertaen man" !in#ing o!ligations un#er international

human rights la. !" rati*"ing (legall" acce,ting) international human rights

treaties such as the s

com,liance .ith its international human rights o!ligations+ Sri Lana has a

long histor" o* su!mitting ,erio#ic re,orts to UN reat" Bo#ies that

su,erise Sri Lana>s com,liance .ith international human rights treaties it

has rati@e#+ Similarl"- Sri Lana has rea#il" coo,erate# .ith the HRC>s

Uniersal erio#ic Reie. ,rocess an# su!mitte# necessar" re,orts an#

res,onses+ Sri Lana also has engage# in legal re*orm (e+g+ amen#ment to

the Citi=enshi, Act to ena!le a chil# to o!tain citi=enshi, through the

mother an# the a#o,tion o* the Iomestic Jiolence Act) or has esta!lishe#

institutions (e+g+ the Human Rights Commission o* Sri Lana) in res,onse to

recommen#ations ma#e !" UN human rights !o#ies or as a result o*

un#ertaings gien !" Sri Lana to such !o#ies+


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he 2014 resolution *ollo.s t.o ,reious resolutions on Sri Lana a#o,te#

!" the HRC in 2012 (A'HRC'RES'19'2) an# 201 (A'HRC'RES'22'1)+ he @rst

resolution- it shoul# !e note#- .as a#o,te# t.o an# a hal* "ears a*ter the

en#ing o* the ciil .ar in Sri Lana+

All three resolutions *ocus on ,romoting reconciliation- accounta!ilit" an#

human rights in Sri Lana .hile recogni=ing Sri Lana>s soereignt"-

in#e,en#ence- unit" an# territorial integrit"+ As the three resolutions are

inter%connecte#- it is #i?cult to *ull" un#erstan# the 2014 resolution .ithout

going through the content o* the 2012 an# 201 resolutions+

Each o* the three resolutions ,oints out that com!ating terrorism has to !e

carrie# out !" States .ithin the *rame.or o* their international la.

o!ligationsKin ,articular- o!ligations un#er international human rights la.-

international re*ugee la. an# international humanitarian la.+ he

resolutions call on Sri Lana to tae action- in accor#ance .ith the countr">s

international la. o!ligations- to eectiel" !ring a!out reconciliation .ithin

the countr" an# accounta!ilit" *or iolations o* international human rights

la. an# humanitarian la. o!ligations+

Let us no. e8amine the three HRC resolutions

a) he 2012 resolutionG is e8tremel" !rie*+


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international la.+ he High Commissioner *or Human Rights an# UN e8,erts

are calle# on to ,roi#e technical su,,ort *or those ,ur,oses to the 7MSL

.ith its agreement+ he M?ce o* the High Commissioner o* Human

Rights (MHCHR) is calle# on to re,ort on the ,rogress ma#e at the HRC

session to !e hel# in 6arch 201+

!) he 201 resolution .as a#o,te# !" the HRC4G a*ter e8amining the

re,ort ,resente# to it !" the M?ce o* the High Commissioner as re/uire# !"

the 2012 resolution+ he re,ort o* the MHCHR .hich .as ,resente# in

Fe!ruar"- 201 .as also !ase# on a isit to Sri Lana !" a technical mission

consisting o* MHCHR o?cials+ he team isite# Sri Lana in Se,tem!er-

2012 .ith the ,ermission o* the 7oernment o* Sri Lana+ he isit .as

ma#e *urther to the 2012 resolution .hich calle# *or the MHCHR to ,roi#e

technical su,,ort to the 7MSL in *ul@lling the recommen#ations ma#e !"

the HRC+

he re,ort conclu#es that- although Lessons Learnt an# Reconciliation

Commission>s Recommen#ations oer the ,romise o* achieing

meaning*ul reconciliation an# accounta!ilit" in Sri Lana- the

7oernment has taen ste,s to im,lement onl" some o*

those recommen#ations+


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re!uil#ing in*rastructure- #emining an# resettling o* internall" #is,lace#

,ersons+ Ho.eer- it ,oints out that the lan o* Action *or the

im,lementation o* the LLRC recommen#ations leaes out man" im,ortant

recommen#ations such as those that call *or the cre#i!le inestigation o*

inoluntar" #isa,,earances an# e8tra%3u#icial illings- im,roement o* the

Rule o* La.- reaching a ,olitical settlement on #eolution o* ,o.er- an#

strengthening ,reiousl" in#e,en#ent ciil institutions+


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intimi#ation o* 3ournalists- la."ers an# human rights actiists- an# also

threats to in#e,en#ence o* the 3u#iciar" an# the rule o* la.+


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situation in Sri Lana !ase# on Sri Lana>s international o!ligations .ill

continue+

A reie. o* the three HRC resolutions on Sri Lana maes it clear that .hat

the 7oernment o* Sri Lana .as mainl" re/uire# to #o .as to im,lement

the recommen#ations o* Sri Lana>s o.n LLRC- inclu#ing taing cre#i!le

an# in#e,en#ent action locall" to inestigate an# to ,unish those .ho are

*oun# res,onsi!le *or serious human rights iolations+ Similarl"- .here the

allegations o* serious iolations o* international human rights an#

humanitarian la. are concerne#- the HRC resolutions call to Sri

Lana .as also to hol# cre#i!le local inestigations- een though the High

Commissioner ha# alrea#" conclu#e# that an international inestigation

.as necessar"+ Eentuall"- it .as onl" in the thir# resolution (2014) that the

HRC #eci#e# to re/uest the M?ce o* the High Commissioner *or Human

Rights to itsel* con#uct an international inestigation+


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Commission are a#e/uate local accounta!ilit" measures an# that it

(7MSL) is also maing satis*actor" ,rogress on ,ost%.ar reconciliation+

&+ hat ste,s has the UN aen to Commence the


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circumstances o* such allege# iolations an# o* the crimes

,er,etrate# .ith a ie. to aoi#ing im,unit" an# ensuring

accounta!ilit"- .ith assistance *rom releant e8,erts an#

s,ecial ,roce#ures man#ate hol#ersP

(c) o ,resent an oral u,#ate to the Human Rights Council at its

t.ent"%seenth session- an# a com,rehensie re,ort *ollo.e# !" a

#iscussion on the im,lementation o* the ,resent resolution at its

t.ent"%eighth sessionP

hether or not Sri Lana coo,erates .ith the international inestigation-

the MHCHR .ill ,rocee# .ith its .or as man#ate# an# ,resent its re,ort to

the HRC+ he HRC .ill #iscuss the re,ort (Sri Lana .ill hae the right to

res,on#) an# #eci#e on .hether it .ill !e a#o,te# or not+


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1+hat cause# the HRC to *ocus on the human rights situation in Sri Lana

2+hat is the legal !asis *or HRC resolutions

+Ho. !est coul# Sri Lana hae aoi#e# the ,rolongation o* the HRC ,rocess

on Sri Lana

4+hat .as the man#ate o* the LLRC an# .hat are its recommen#ations;+hat shoul# hae !een #one !" the 7MSL to eectiel" im,lement those

recommen#ations

:+Ho. coul# a cre#i!le an# in#e,en#ent inestigatie ,rocess to inestigation

serious iolations o* international human rights an# humanitarian la. hae

!een esta!lishe# in Sri Lana ho coul# .e hae thought o* as nominees

to sere on such a !o#"

5+ t .e the ones .ho stan# to !ene@t- .ith or .ithout HRC resolutions- i*

those issues are eectiel" #ealt .ith !" the 7MSL un#er the rule o* la.MSSCR


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o* 1; $ul" 2014- !een e8,an#e# !" the resi#ent to loo into allegations o*

.ar crimes an# iolations o* international la. in the last stages o* the

conOict+ his is a ast an# com,le8 area- an# though the allegations

certainl" nee# inestigation- a##ing it to the tas o* the alrea#" heail"

!ur#ene# 6issing ersons Commission a,,ears to !e a hast" an# ill%

thought out ste,+ 6oreoer- !" #iluting an# e8,an#ing the original *unction

o* this Commission- it is liel" to im,e#e een *urther the inestigation into

missing ,ersons- there!" a##ing to the anguish o* the thousan#s o* long%

suering ,ersons .ho #es,eratel" nee# K an# hae a right to no. % the

*ate o* their *amil" mem!ers+


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Documents

FAQ on the UN Human Rights Council Resolution (2014) on Sri Lanka