Sri Lanka will continue to engage constructively with the UN and its agencies in the same spirit of cooperation that have stood for over six decades despite the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopting a resolution on Sri Lanka, Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunewardena told Parliament yesterday.
He said however the Resolution against Sri Lanka was pushed forward at the behest of a few countries, representing one part of the world without the consent of Sri Lanka. “It is therefore unhelpful and divisive. There is no moral right to interfere into affairs of a sovereign country in this manner,” he added.
The minister emphasised that no country has a greater interest in bringing about reconciliation among its peoples than Sri Lanka - a point that has repeatedly been emphasized during proceedings of the Human Rights Council. He also said that Sri Lanka considers the draft resolution to be unwarranted, unjustified and in violation of the relevant Articles of the United Nations Charter, in particular Article 2(7) and relevant Sections of the United Nations Resolution 60/251 that provides for the mandate of the Human Rights Council. “For the above reasons, this Resolution against Sri Lanka is illegal”.
He said the Government remains committed to protect those who have made immeasurable sacrifices to neutralize terrorism, protect the territorial integrity of the country and to regain for all people in Sri Lanka the most cherished of all rights, right to life.
“Despite the vote of this Resolution against Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka will pursue its domestic mechanisms aimed at bringing about reconciliation and a lasting peace,”he added.