Russia, China etc. slam Pillay's office
Russia issuing a joint statement on behalf of likeminded countries
(Belarus, China, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Kenya, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Pakistan,
Sudan, Uganda, Venezuela, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka) said, the Office of
the High Commission on Human Rights (OHCHR) Report has no nexus to the
principal objects of resolution 19/2, and seeks to make recommendations
which are outside its scope and mandate.
Therefore, any further initiatives in the Council, based on or
emanating from the Report, are counterproductive. Such action would in
effect negatively impact the delicate process of engagement and
cooperation Sri Lanka has maintained with the OHCHR and the Council, and
also set a bad precedent of general significance to all states.
The joint statement:
We note that the objective of resolution 19/2 was to mandate the
OHCHR to provide, in consultation with and with the concurrence of the
government of Sri Lanka, advice and technical assistance on implementing
the said resolution; and to request the OHCHR to present a report to the
Council on the provision of such assistance. We further note that the
above was mandated clearly within the context of the implementation of
Sri Lanka's domestic reconciliation process. Considering the above, we
are of the view that in the Report, A/HRC/22/38, the High Commissioner
has clearly exceeded her mandate of reporting on the provision of
assistance, by making substantive recommendations and pronouncements.
These recommendations are arbitrary, intrusive and of a political
nature. Furthermore, the High Commissioner, specifically in paragraph 64
of the Report has hastened to prejudge the outcome of Sri Lanka's
ongoing domestic reconciliation process.
We note that the repeated allusion to the Secretary General's Panel
of Experts Report, which was not mandated or endorsed by any
intergovernmental process, not only takes the Report beyond the scope
and mandate of 19/2 but also exposes its bias.
We also note that the Report does not give due recognition to the
significant progress achieved by Sri Lanka in reconciliation since the
restoration of peace in 2009.
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