PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Sri Lanka (4 September 2014)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he plans to take through the Commonwealth and UN to secure Sri Lanka's compliance with the UN Human Rights Committee's resolution on the war crimes and civil rights investigation.

Asked by:
Sir Stephen Timms (Labour)

We welcome the passing of the UN Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka on 27 March, which established an international investigation into alleged violations and abuses of international law on both sides of the military conflict in Sri Lanka, in addition to calling for progress on human rights and reconciliation. The UK was a main co-sponsor of the resolution and will continue to give full support to the Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in establishing an international investigation, as mandated by the UN Human Rights Council.

The UN resolution calls upon the Sri Lankan government to co-operate with the OHCHR in the implementation of the resolution. We continue to urge the Sri Lankan government to co-operate with the OHCHR, and to view the international investigation as an opportunity to address the grievances of the past in the spirit of lasting peace and reconciliation. We also continue to call for the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group, and the Commonwealth Secretary-General, to use their leverage to encourage Sri Lanka’s co-operation.

Answered by:
Lord Swire (Conservative)
9 September 2014