{"id":184093,"date":"2017-11-13T00:53:37","date_gmt":"2017-11-12T19:23:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=184093"},"modified":"2017-11-15T00:19:13","modified_gmt":"2017-11-14T18:49:13","slug":"what-will-sri-lanka-agree-to-in-geneva-this-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/what-will-sri-lanka-agree-to-in-geneva-this-week\/","title":{"rendered":"What Will Sri Lanka Agree To In Geneva This Week?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Sanja De Silva Jayatilleka<\/a> –<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Sanja De Silva Jayatilleka<\/p><\/div>\n

On Wednesday, 15<\/span>th<\/sup><\/span> of November at 2.30 pm, Sri Lanka will come under review at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and will have to account for its conduct, answer questions posed to it by other countries, and decide which recommendations it accepts. <\/span><\/p>\n

A sample of questions posed in advance, to be answered on Wednesday, are as follows: <\/span><\/p>\n

Germany<\/b><\/span>: In September 2017, the parliament of Sri Lanka has taken the bill on enforced disappearances<\/b> from its agenda. Why was this the case and when does the parliament plan to reconsider the bill?<\/span><\/p>\n

Belgium<\/b><\/span>: welcomes Sri Lanka\u2019s efforts regarding transitional justice.\u00a0 <\/span>What progress has been made regarding the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission?<\/span><\/p>\n

Estonia<\/b><\/span>: In the national report you mention that a certain mechanism has been created to ensure that the commitments under UN HRC Resolution 30\/1 are met. Could you elaborate on the work so far done by that mechanism?<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the current state of play with regard to the review and repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act in ensuring that it meets international human rights standards?<\/span><\/p>\n

Norway<\/b>:<\/span> When will the Prevention of Torture Act be repealed and replaced by legislation that is fully compliant with human rights standards?<\/span><\/p>\n

UK<\/b><\/span>: When does the Government of Sri Lanka expect to have transitional justice mechanisms in place, to ensure accountability and give greater certainty of non-recurrence, as set out in the UNHRC Resolution 34\/1?<\/span><\/p>\n

USA<\/b><\/span>: We are disappointed in the lack of movement toward holding security forces and government officials accountable for human rights violations and abuses.\u00a0 <\/span>When does the government plan to establish a credible judicial mechanism to investigate allegations of violations and abuses of human rights, and violations of international humanitarian law?<\/span><\/p>\n

We are concerned by reports of continued abuses by some members of the security forces, including alleged incidents of torture, sexual violence and arbitrary arrest.\u00a0 <\/span>What steps is the government taking to end these abuses and, when will the government repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act and replace it with anti-terrorism legislation that complies with international law and is less susceptible to serving as a pretext for human rights violations and abuses?<\/span><\/p>\n

We commend Sri Lanka for its work on constitutional reform, but the process has moved slower than anticipated.\u00a0 <\/span>How does the government intend to proceed with constitutional reform?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How is the government using the recommendations in the Consultation Task Force report to guide it through an inclusive reform process?<\/span><\/p>\n

Switzerland<\/b><\/span>:\u00a0 <\/span>What are the reasons for the delay in implementing the resolutions 30\/1 and 34\/1? What are the milestones and benchmarks foreseen in the further implementation? <\/span><\/p>\n

When will the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) become fully operational? What kind of international involvement do you plan in the establishment and running of the OMP?<\/span><\/p>\n

This review, known as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), is described as a \u2018peer review\u2019 because it is conducted by the membership of the Council and is conducted every 4 and a half years. All UN member states are subjected to this review, and each review is coordinated by 3 Ambassadors selected by drawing lots among the membership, known as \u2018The Troika\u2019. Sri Lanka\u2019s UPR this time will be coordinated by the Ambassadors of Burundi, Republic of Korea and Venezuela. When the inaugural UPR of the UN Human Rights Council was held in April 2008, Sri Lanka\u2019s Ambassador\/Permanent Representative Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka was a member of the very first Troika, for Bahrain, Ghana and Bangladesh. <\/span><\/p>\n

In order to conduct the review, the UPR process takes into account 3 reports, which are already posted on the UNHRC website<\/b>: <\/span><\/p>\n