Sri Lanka has rejected the draft resolution A/HRC/57/L.1, presented during the 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on October 9, 2024, which seeks to extend the mandate of Resolution 51/1 concerning reconciliation, accountability, and human rights in the country.
Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Himalee Arunatilaka, stated that the country opposed Resolution 51/1 and its predecessor, Resolution 46/1, which established an external evidence-gathering mechanism. She emphasized that Sri Lanka disassociates from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' report and that the resolution was tabled without Sri Lanka’s consent.
Arunatilaka also argued that no sovereign state should accept external mechanisms that contradict its constitution or domestic legal processes. Additionally, Sri Lanka highlighted the financial concerns many countries raised regarding the mechanism’s ever-expanding mandate.
Despite rejecting the resolution, Sri Lanka reaffirmed its commitment to constructive engagement with the UNHRC and international human rights treaties, and also conveyed gratitude for the steadfast support shown by numerous countries in the UNHRC, staying their principled stances as the nation moves forward with domestic efforts toward reconciliation.
