Ahead of the upcoming 43rd Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) scheduled to commence on Monday (February 24), Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha briefed the President of the HRC Ambassador Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger on the Government of Sri Lanka’s decision to withdraw its co-sponsorship of Resolution 40/1 of March 2019 on ‘Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka’, which also incorporates and builds on preceding Resolutions 30/1 of October 2015 and 34/1 of March 2017.
The Foreign Secretary who is presently in Geneva on Friday (February 21) informed the President that the Cabinet of Ministers had on Wednesday approved this decision following a Cabinet Paper submitted by Foreign Relations Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.
The decision had also been presented to Parliament on Thursday. He also informed her that Minister Gunawardena will lead the Sri Lankan delegation to the 43rd Session of the Human Rights Council, and will formally inform the Council Members on the Government’s decision when he addresses the High Level Segment of the Council, on Wednesday, February 25. Minister Gunawardena who will also respond to the Oral Update on Sri Lanka by the High Commissioner on February 27, is scheduled to meet the High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, during his stay in Geneva.
She was also informed by the Foreign Secretary that on the eve of the decision being taken by the Cabinet, the Ambassadors of the ‘core group’ that had moved the resolution, who were resident in Colombo (the UK, Germany and Canada), had also been briefed by Minister Gunawardena. Ambassador Tichy-Fisslberger appreciated Sri Lanka’s initiative to keep her briefed on the matter.
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