The first draft of the US-sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka, circulated among members of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, has given the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) the mandate to investigate alleged rights violations and related crimes by both the Lankan government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
The UN High Commission has been tasked to “assess progress towards accountability and reconciliation, to monitor relevant national processes, and to investigate alleged violations and abuses of human rights and related crimes by both parties in Sri Lanka.” The mandate flows from the conclusion of Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay, in her reports of September 25, 2013, and February 24, 2014, that the Lankan mechanisms have “consistently failed to establish the truth and achieve justice” and hence, an international inquiry mechanism should be established to further probe the alleged violations of International Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law.
The US resolution requests the UN High Commissioner to use inputs from relevant special procedures mandate holders and present an oral update to the UNHRC at its 27th session and present a comprehensive report followed by a discussion on the implementation of the present resolution at the 28th session.
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