Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath has assured UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk that the government is ready to advance accountability for alleged human rights violations through a domestic mechanism, supported technically by the Human Rights Council.
The assurance was given during a meeting between Minister Herath and High Commissioner Türk on Wednesday (10) in Geneva, where the Foreign Minister is attending the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two officials held an in-depth discussion on the report presented by the High Commissioner. Minister Herath elaborated on Sri Lanka’s stance and the steps being taken by the government.
High Commissioner Türk, in response, expressed hope that Sri Lanka’s new administration would mark a turning point in the country’s human rights record. He urged that the opportunity should not be missed to establish a credible and independent investigation and accountability mechanism to address past violations.
