The UK and Canada have informed Colombo of a fresh resolution on Sri Lanka at the upcoming 60th UN Human Rights Council session, as the US exits the core group. Changes in backing nations and a critical rights report by UN High Commissioner Volker Turk set the stage for tense debates in Geneva.
The United Kingdom and Canada have informed the Sri Lankan government that they will present a new resolution on Sri Lanka during the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) next month.
Government sources say the core group composition is expected to change with the withdrawal of the United States, which had co-sponsored earlier resolutions, from the Council. Malawi, Montenegro, and North Macedonia nations that previously supported resolutions alongside the UK, US, and Canada — are also unlikely to join the new resolution this year.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, who visited Sri Lanka in June, will present his latest report on the “Situation of Human Rights in Sri Lanka” at the session’s opening on September 8.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath is scheduled to present the government’s case in Geneva. He told the media that since the new administration took office last September, proposals at the UNHRC on Sri Lanka have faced a softer approach.
The Minister noted that the government has taken measures to strengthen domestic accountability mechanisms, free from political interference. He highlighted that the planned establishment of an independent prosecutor’s office, a pledge by the National People’s Power, is aimed at boosting international trust in Sri Lanka’s internal processes.
