– Sri Lanka has called on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to ensure that country-specific mandates are not treated as indefinite, stressing the need for periodic reviews based on clearly defined objectives and measurable outcomes.

Addressing the 63rd Session of the UNHRC in Geneva yesterday (8) during the General Debate under Agenda Item 2, Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Sumith Dassanayake, said no Council mandate should be regarded as permanent.A written update on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka was presented to the Council yesterday. The General Debate was attended by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.Addressing the High Commissioner, Ambassador Dassanayake said that at a time when the international community is facing grave and urgent human rights challenges, including armed conflicts, displacement and humanitarian crises, the Council should ensure that its resources and attention are focused on the most pressing global issues.He stressed that all mandates, particularly country-specific mandates, should be periodically reviewed against clearly defined objectives and measurable outcomes. He also called for sunset clauses and phase-out provisions to be included in country-specific resolutions where appropriate. Ambassador Dassanayake further said that when a country demonstrates progress through national processes, dialogue, cooperation and technical assistance, the Council should provide a credible pathway towards concluding the relevant mandate.

During the General Debate, several like-minded countries expressed support for Sri Lanka and commended the country’s progress in protecting and promoting the human rights of all Sri Lankans.