Respect for human rights today key to long-term security: US

The long-term security and prosperity of Sri Lanka depends on respecting human rights today, the US Government said, as it announced its co-sponsorship of the UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka which was adopted on Tuesday.

The US calls on Sri Lanka to safeguard the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, human rights defenders, and civil society actors, and to take credible and meaningful steps to address its past, promote reconciliation, and guarantee equal access to justice for all its people, US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Jalina Porter said at a briefing.

Porter said the resolution expanded reporting requirements for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and includes a mandate to collect and preserve evidence for future accountability processes. The Principal Deputy Spokesperson said the resolution also expressed concern about the trends over the past year.  

From 2012-2017, the US was the main sponsor of Resolutions on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council. The UK took over the mantle as main sponsor after the Trump administration quit the Council in 2018. The Biden Administration has since announced it will seek to rejoin the Council.