External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris today commenting on the resolution against Sri Lanka being adopted stated that voting at the Human Rights Council is now not determined by the merits of a particular issue but by strategic alliances.
He said that it also depends on domestic political issues in other countries which have nothing to do with the subject matter of a Resolution or the best interests of the country to which the Resolution relates.
He added that this is a cynical negation of the purposes for which the Human Rights Council was established.
With 15 countries voting with Sri Lanka, and 8 countries abstaining, the final result was that 23 countries, out of a total of 47 members of the Human Rights Council, did not support the Resolution, while 24 supported it. The margin was as narrow as this, the Minister said.
Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris stated that they were satisfied with the 15 votes obtained at the UN Human Rights Council a short while ago.
He added that the Sri Lankan government was extremely thankful and appreciated this gesture; the eight countries who abstained from voting on this resolution were also thanked by the Minister.
Peiris further emphasized that many countries which voted with Sri Lanka were acutely conscious of the danger of setting a precedent which enables ad hoc intervention by powerful countries in the internal affairs of other nations. This is a highly selective and arbitrary process not governed by objective norms or criteria of any kind. The implications of this were not lost on many countries.
As far as Sri Lanka is concerned, our policy in respect of all matters will continue to be guided by the vital interests and wellbeing of the people of our country. It hardly requires emphasis that this cannot yield place to any other consideration
CT
He said that it also depends on domestic political issues in other countries which have nothing to do with the subject matter of a Resolution or the best interests of the country to which the Resolution relates.
He added that this is a cynical negation of the purposes for which the Human Rights Council was established.
With 15 countries voting with Sri Lanka, and 8 countries abstaining, the final result was that 23 countries, out of a total of 47 members of the Human Rights Council, did not support the Resolution, while 24 supported it. The margin was as narrow as this, the Minister said.
Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris stated that they were satisfied with the 15 votes obtained at the UN Human Rights Council a short while ago.
He added that the Sri Lankan government was extremely thankful and appreciated this gesture; the eight countries who abstained from voting on this resolution were also thanked by the Minister.
Peiris further emphasized that many countries which voted with Sri Lanka were acutely conscious of the danger of setting a precedent which enables ad hoc intervention by powerful countries in the internal affairs of other nations. This is a highly selective and arbitrary process not governed by objective norms or criteria of any kind. The implications of this were not lost on many countries.
As far as Sri Lanka is concerned, our policy in respect of all matters will continue to be guided by the vital interests and wellbeing of the people of our country. It hardly requires emphasis that this cannot yield place to any other consideration
CT
