The European Parliament (EP) Thursday welcomed in a resolution the UN expert panel’s report on Sri Lanka and applauded UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, who commissioning the report, for publishing it.
The EP statement follows a similar declaration Wednesday by the High Representative, Catherine Ashton, on behalf of the European Union. (see here)
The EP expressed its concern at the serious nature of the allegations in the UN report and stressed that those allegations, and the issue of accountability for them, must be properly addressed before lasting reconciliation can be achieved in Sri Lanka.
“[The EP] takes the view that, in the interests of justice and reconciliation in Sri Lanka, the allegations contained in the UN panel of experts' report warrant a full, impartial and transparent investigation, and encourage the Government of Sri Lanka to respond constructively to the recommendations made by the panel of experts.”
The EP also called on the Sri Lankan government “to implement the panel's recommendations, starting with the ‘immediate measures’, and immediately to commence genuine investigations into the violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.”
It also welcomed the UN Secretary-General's decision to respond positively to the panel's call for a review of the UN's actions regarding the implementation of its humanitarian and protection mandates during the war in Sri Lanka, particularly in the final stages of the conflict.
See the full text of the resolution here.
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