First informal meeting on Sri Lanka at UNHRC 30th session on 17 September

The United States has informed the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva that an informal meeting has been scheduled on the sidelines of the 30th session which begins on 14 September, to discuss a resolution the US plans to present on Sri Lanka.

US Ambassador to the UN in Geneva Keith Karper at the organisational meeting for the 30th Session of UNHRC said the first informal meeting has been scheduled for 17 September at the Palais des Nations.

Harper informed the UNHRC that on behalf of a core group, the US plans to offer a resolution on Sri Lanka to follow up on the new Sri Lankan Government’s efforts to promote reconciliation and accountability.

“We hope to work collaboratively with the new Government of Sri Lanka and key stakeholders on this text,” the US Ambassador said at the organisational meeting.

Indicating a major shift in policy towards Sri Lanka, the US last week said it would sponsor a resolution at next month’s UNHRC session in Geneva supporting the Government of Sri Lanka to conduct its own domestic probe into the alleged war crimes. The release of the report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) investigation requested in HRC resolution 25/1 will also be discussed at the informal meeting.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein will present the report on Sri Lanka to the Council on 30 September.