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Advancing Human Rights in Geneva: report
on activities of the Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process
Secretary General
The Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process
14th December 2007
Two representatives of the Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process
formed part of the Sri Lankan delegation to the Sixth Session of the
United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. Prof Rajiva Wijesinha,
Secretary General, and Shirani Goonetilleke, Legal Director, along with
Shavindra Fernando, Deputy Solicitor General, and G K D Amarawardena,
Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Human
Rights, joined staff of the Mission in Geneva to contribute to the proceedings.
Permanent Representative Dayan Jayatilleka is a Vice-President of the
Council, and the experienced staff in the Mission contributed actively
to discussions, both formal and informal, on a range of issues. The
highly professional IT division of the Mission worked right round the
clock to keep the media and other Missions briefed, while monitoring
all news on Sri Lanka for the benefit of the delegation.
Preceding the sessions, the Minister for Disaster Management and Human
Rights, Hon Mahinda Samarasinghe, had briefed delegates of several countries
on the current Sri Lankan situation, and this was followed on the first
day of the sessions by further briefing meetings for various ambassadors.
The delegation indicated the areas in which assistance was required
by Sri Lanka to improve the Human Rights situation, and during the course
of the sessions representations were made to countries that had advanced
some criticism but had failed to respond to requests for assistance.
A brief discussion with Special Rapporteur Philip Alston confirmed that
he had recommended action in areas also identified by the Committee
convened by SCOPP. This was a Sub-Committee to look into improving Human
Rights Training for the police, appointed by the Inter-Ministerial Committee
on Human Rights, with the participation of representatives of the Inspector
General of Police and the National Police Commission.
Discussion with the former Special Human Rights Adviser of the UNHC
for Human Rights revealed why, contrary to the expectations of the National
Human Rights Commission, there were no UN Volunteers in place in the
regional offices of the HRC as agreed previously. It transpired that
donors had been unwilling to contribute. This seemed a clear example
of a self-fulfilling prophecy, inasmuch as many complaints are heard
about the national HRC, but it would seem that the complainants are
unwilling to strengthen its operations. Whatever the reasons, it was
a pity that the SHRA had not shared this information with the HRC so
that matters might have been adjusted promptly.
In the course of debate the delegation was also able to draw attention
to misleading information that was circulated. The representative of
the Netherlands declared to the Assembly that the International Eminent
Persons Group had resigned, and averred that he had been briefed to
this effect, but the delegation was able to show by reading from the
IIGEP letter that this was not the case, and that the IIGEP had simply
declared - for reasons cited - that they would not continue beyond their
mandate beyond the end of March next year.
While the delegation did not question how the representative of the
Netherlands had been briefed on a matter that was not as yet in the
public domain, he was advised that perhaps a less personal perspective
would be conducive to promoting human rights requirements as opposed
to other agendas.
The delegation also took the opportunity to visit the headquarters
of agencies that work in Sri Lanka, such as the ICRC, IFRC and OCHA,
to discuss ways of ensuring the most effective delivery of humanitarian
assistance, and reporting on problems in a manner that could not be
exploited for political purposes. Apologies were tendered for errors
that had crept into reporting, whilst investigations into misleading
information that may have originated from within the system were promised.
Attention was drawn in particular to a release by the UNHCR office in
Geneva that did not seem to have been cleared with the representative
in Colombo, whilst the failure to note the efforts made by the Sri Lankan
government to ensure not only humanitarian assistance but regular social
services to all citizens of the country was highlighted, so that remedial
action could be taken.
It was also noted that the oft repeated criticism that international
agencies had to take special care about humanitarian workers in Sri
Lanka was a canard that needed to be dealt with. It was pointed out
that international workers were not under threat at all, and that it
was Sri Lankans who had suffered most, and most conspicuously because
of culpable negligence. Whereas statistics for 2007 were comparatively
low, there had been a horrendous incident in 2006, which was being investigated.
However, as it had been pointed out to Sir John Holmes, who had kindly
shared the regulations with regard to safety, it was obvious that those
regulations had been breached. It was pointed out that it was incumbent
on his office to ensure that that breach was also inquired into, given
his concerns in this regard. This was noted, though it was also suggested
that the matter should also be brought to the attention of the UN Coordinator
in Colombo.
A visit was also paid to the Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary
Union, in view of the forthcoming visit of a delegation of the IPU,
invited by the government of Sri Lanka to look into concerns expressed
by some opposition politicians. The visits confirmed the willingness
of these institutions to work together with the government of Sri Lanka
to promote human rights and humanitarian assistance to peoples suffering
from the impact of terrorism, a subject that had been discussed at length
during the sessions of the Council.
Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha
Secretary General, SCOPP
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