Friday, March 30, 2012

Committed to working with Lankan govt. for lasting peace – US

The United States says it is committed to working with the Sri Lankan government to help realize the goal of lasting peace through real reconciliation and accountability.  The remark came in a fact sheet issued by the office of the spokesperson of the US State Department on the key US outcomes at the UNHRC 19th session in Geneva.

The fact sheet says with regard to Sri Lanka,

“The United States, together with the international community, sent a strong signal that Sri Lanka will only achieve lasting peace through real reconciliation and accountability, and the international community stands ready to help. Through a new resolution, the Council encouraged the Government of Sri Lanka to implement the constructive recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) and take the necessary measures to address accountability. We are committed to working with the Sri Lankan government to help realize this goal.”

It also said the 19th Session of the UNHRC underscored the importance of robust engagement at the Council, where the US continues to work with a diverse range of countries from all regions of the world to address urgent human rights concerns.

US leadership kept the Council at the forefront of the international effort to promote and protect human rights in the Middle East as the Arab Spring continues to transform the region.

US engagement has resulted in significant improvements to the UNHRC over the past two and a half years, making it a more effective and credible multilateral forum for  promoting and protecting human rights.

At the same time, the Council’s biased and disproportionate focus on Israel continues to be a major challenge, as exemplified by the annual Item 7 resolutions.

Through engagement at the Council, the US continues to vigorously oppose this biased treatment, it adds.
SLM