UN High Commissioner report Sri Lanka Feb 2018

A/HRC/37/23
I. Introduction
1. The present document is an update on progress achieved in promoting
reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka. It is submitted pursuant to
Human Rights Council resolution 34/1, which followed the adoption of resolution 30/1.
Both resolutions were co-sponsored by Sri Lanka, and were adopted by consensus. It
provides an update to the comprehensive report of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights to the Council at its thirty-fourth session (A/HRC/34/20). 1
2. In its resolution 34/1, the Council took note with appreciation of the High
Commissioner’s report and requested the Government of Sri Lanka to implement fully the
outstanding measures identified by the Council in its resolution 30/1. It also requested the
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and relevant
special procedure mandate holders, in consultation with, and with the concurrence of, the
Government of Sri Lanka to strengthen their advice and technical assistance on the
promotion and protection of human rights and truth, justice, reconciliation and
accountability in Sri Lanka. In the same resolution the Council also asked OHCHR to
continue to assess progress in the implementation of its recommendations and other
relevant processes related to reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka,
and to present a written update to the Council at its thirty-seventh session and a
comprehensive report, followed by a discussion on the implementation of Council
resolution 30/1, at its fortieth session.
3. In the present report OHCHR reviews progress made by the Government of Sri
Lanka during the period from March 2017 to January 2018 on the implementation of
resolutions 30/1 and 34/1, in particular regarding the comprehensive recommendations on
the judicial and non-judicial measures necessary to advance accountability and
reconciliation, and on strengthening the protection of human rights, democracy and the rule
of law. The update is based on public information and insights obtained by OHCHR from
various governmental and non-governmental stakeholders.
II. Engagement of the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights and United Nations human
rights mechanisms
4. Several senior OHCHR representatives conducted visits to Sri Lanka during the
period under review, following the missions of the High Commissioner and the Deputy
High Commissioner in February and September 2016, respectively. The High
Commissioner also had the opportunity to meet the President of Sri Lanka on 22 September
2017, during the seventy-second session of the General Assembly, and to exchange views
with high-level delegations from Sri Lanka during the thirty-fifth session of the Human
Rights Council in June 2017 as well as in bilateral meetings. The High Commissioner
welcomes the substantive engagement of the Government with OHCHR and its
constructive engagement with United Nations human rights mechanisms.
5. Since the previous report, the Government has hosted the Special Rapporteur on the
promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering
terrorism, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and
guarantees of non-recurrence and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. The
observations and recommendations of these mandate holders were used to inform the
present update in conjunction with the reports of the other special procedure mandate
holders who visited the country between 2015 and 2017.
6. In November 2017, Sri Lanka underwent its third universal periodic review, which
has also informed the present update.
1
Sinhalese and Tamil versions of the findings are available at www.ohchr.org/EN/Countries/Asia
Region/Pages/LKIndex.aspx.
3