Halt excessive scrutiny of nations - SL tells Human Rights Council

• Says failure to address suffering of civilians in Gaza, undermines the credibility of the international human rights framework 

By Sunil Jayasiri  
Sri Lanka has called for the UN Human Rights Council to halt its excessive scrutiny of nations in the global south through intrusive mechanisms while ignoring violations elsewhere to regain credibility.   

 Sri Lanka also expressed disappointment that the Council’s persistent and disproportionate attention on Sri Lanka is not beneficial to the nation.  
Speaking at the 55th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka Himalee Subhashini Arunatilaka, underscored the urgent need for the global human rights framework to uphold objectivity and universality, and ensure that alleged violations are addressed impartially, regardless of the size or the influence of the country concerned.  

She said that in Gaza, the disregard for human rights and international law is starkly apparent, emphasizing the urgent need for immediate ceasefire and measures to ensure humanitarian aid reaches those in need. “The failure to address such profound suffering of civilians undermines the credibility of the international human rights framework including this Council, established for the promotion and protection of human rights.”  
“Polarization of this Council through politicization of human rights is a hindrance to achieve its objectives as mandated by the GA Resolutions 60/251 and 48/141,” she said.   
Measures to protect human rights of a country must be guided by the founding principles of this Council and conducted through constructive dialogue, cooperation and mutual respect, considering national complexities and challenges, she said.   
The Council must cease its disproportionate scrutiny of nations in the global south through intrusive mechanisms, while turning a blind eye to violations elsewhere, in order to restore its credibility.   
“Unfortunately, this does not appear to be the case with regard to Sri Lanka, where the Council´s continuous and disproportionate focus on Sri Lanka is unhelpful to the country concerned,” she said.   
Notwithstanding our rejection of the HRC resolutions, Sri Lanka will continue to engage constructively with the Council, sharing our progress on reconciliation and human rights, while engaging with the helpful working methods of this Council which are productive and beneficial to our people such as the UPR.   
We appreciate the many positive comments made by countries during the General Debate on Sri Lanka, acknowledging the visible progress on the ground.   
In the context of protection and promotion of human rights in the Global South, Sri Lanka supports the One China principle and we take note of China’s cooperation with UN human rights mechanisms. We reiterate that interference in the internal affairs of any sovereign country cannot and should not be tolerated.