Follow-up work on UN Internal Review Panel report on Sri Lanka identifies key priorities

Saturday, 12 October 2013 00:00 -     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The follow-up work on the Report of the Secretary-General’s Internal Review Panel on United Nations Action in Sri Lanka has identified three key priorities. The Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson at a lecture on Wednesday has identified prevention, the protection of civilians, and the need for fast action as three key priorities for the UN try to uphold. When asked about the follow-up to the work of the Internal Review Panel concerning Sri Lanka Associate Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Farhan Haq said the Deputy Secretary-General in his discussion yesterday had noted the main priorities and there will be more to say in days and weeks to come as the follow-up work proceed. Michael Keating, the UN Secretary General’s Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan, is conducting the follow-up work on the panel report, the spokesman noted. The Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon set up the Internal Review Panel chaired by Charles Petrie to review the role of the world organization following the findings of the three-member Panel of Experts appointed by him earlier raised a number of significant issues, including those regarding the United Nations response to the civilian situation in northern Sri Lanka during the bloody final months of the war that ended in May 2009. The Panel has recommended “a comprehensive review of action by the United Nations system during the war in Sri Lanka and the aftermath, regarding the implementation of its humanitarian and protection mandates.” Following the release of the Internal Review Panel Report in November 2012, the UN Chief had asked the Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson to convene a working group to study the recommendations made by the panel for the UN to follow.

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