COLOMBO – The Sri Lanka Core Group on Tuesday (8) urged the government to translate its commitments to human rights reform into concrete action, and called for greater progress on accountability, reconciliation, democratic governance and the protection of civil society and journalists.
The call was made in a joint statement delivered by the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders, during discussions on Sri Lanka’s human rights situation at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva.
The Sri Lanka Core Group, comprising Canada, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia and the United Kingdom, welcomed the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ assessment of the situation in Sri Lanka, while acknowledging the challenges the country has faced in recent months, including severe weather events and global energy shocks.
“Against this backdrop, it is crucial that the government’s stated commitment to reform is translated into concrete progress,” it said, welcoming several positive developments, including Sri Lanka’s ratification of the International Labour Organization’s Convention No. 190 on violence and harassment in the world of work, as well as the government’s engagement with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
However, it said further action was needed to strengthen confidence in the country’s accountability and reconciliation efforts.
While acknowledging progress in several emblematic cases, the Core Group said such developments had not yet been accompanied by a comprehensive, victim-centred accountability process to address past human rights violations.
It also pointed to ongoing mass grave excavations as a reminder that thousands of cases of enforced disappearances remain unresolved.
The Group also raised concerns over reports of intimidation, harassment and restrictions affecting civil society organizations, journalists and victims’ groups, including in Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern Provinces.
It urged the government to make further progress on democratic governance through transparent and inclusive consultation processes that address the needs and concerns of all affected communities, noting that such efforts should include advancing legal and institutional reforms, resolving land-related issues, ensuring greater respect for human rights in detention institutions and strengthening independent institutions.
–ENCL
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