Escaping censure at UN

Sri Lanka has escaped censure at the 6th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) now on in Geneva, reports PK Balachandran.

Sri Lanka has escaped censure at the 6th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) now on in Geneva, despite the best efforts of rights groups and the media both in the island and overseas.

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The European Union (EU), which was expected to table a resolution critical of the island’s government, did not submit any.

A press release from the Sri Lankan mission at the UN Office in Geneva said on Thursday that no reference to any resolution on Sri Lanka appeared in the final list of draft resolutions circulated by the UNHRC secretariat at 3 p.m. on Monday. The deadline for the submission of draft resolutions was 12 noon on that day and none on Sri Lanka had come in by then. As per the rules, the draft submitted by the EU during last year’s session, was not valid for this year.

World support for Columbo

“Many delegations, including India, Japan, South Africa, Indonesia and Bangladesh, in their interventions to the Council were appreciative of the initiatives of Sri Lanka in the promotion and protection of human rights,” the release added.