UN High Commissioner, Michelle Bachelet called on member states to "pursue alternate strategies to advance accountability at the international level" as successive Sri Lankan governments have demonstrated their "unwillingness to pursue accountability." 

"Two years after the expression of commitments to pursue an 'inclusive, domestically designed and executed reconciliation and accountability process' before this Council, the Government has still not produced a credible roadmap on transitional justice towards accountability and reconciliation," Bachelet told the UN Human Rights Council yesterday. 

She reiterated her previous calls to member states to "investigate and prosecute" perpetrators of human rights abuses in Sri Lanka "in their jurisdictions, under accepted principles of extraterritorial or universal jurisdiction."

In her update to the Council, Bachelet highlighted that her report demonstrates "the underlying trends that threaten human rights" including the deepening militarisation as well as the Sinhalisation of the North-East which is "creating new tensions."

"The past year has also seen further obstruction and setbacks to accountability. Victims and their families continue to be denied truth and justice.  And the Government’s response to criticism has constricted democratic and civic space, including for essential human rights advocacy," Bachelet added. 

Last year, the UNHRC passed a resolution calling on the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to "collect" as well as "consolidate, analyse and preserve” evidence that could be used in future war crimes trials.

"Our team will analyse the information that has been consolidated in the evidence repository using a criminal justice perspective, with a view to identifying gaps and priorities for further information collection, and incorporating a victim-centred approach," Bachelet said. 

"The mandate under the resolution 46/1 presents an important opportunity to pursue accountability for serious international crimes committed in Sri Lanka. This is a vital task: as long as impunity prevails, Sri Lanka will not achieve genuine reconciliation and sustainable peace," Bachelet concluded. 

Responding to her update, Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister rejected Resolution 46/1 for it's "unacceptable content", specifically the mandate to collect evidence for war crimes trials.

"We are convinced that there are serious anomalies and weaknesses in the report presented to this Council by the High Commissioner," Peiris added. 

"It is a matter for deep regret that numerous instances of unsubstantiated allegations and superficial conclusions insensitive to the complexity of ground situations have found their way into the report."

Sri Lanka has repeatedly vowed to reject the UN process, claiming that it's domestic mechanisms will achieve transitional justice and accountability. 

See our live coverage of the interactive dialogue here.