SL needs broad HR impact assessments: UN Expert
Sri Lanka should implement a robust legal framework to conduct comprehensive human rights impact assessments prior to carrying out large scale infrastructure projects such as the Sampur power plant and the Hambantota port, a visiting UN Expert yesterday said.
Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky, the UN Independent Expert on the Effects of Foreign Debt on Human Rights expressed these views at a news briefing held at the end of his nineday visit to Sri Lanka.
After the end of the war in 2009, he said large-scale infrastructure projects have flourished throughout the country.
“Examples include the Colombo Outer Circular Expressway, Sampur power plant, the Hambantota port and Hambantota airport, all projects having been approved and launched in the late 2000s and early 2010s. However, the
Sri Lankan legal framework does not establish the obligation to conduct a comprehensive human rights impact assessment of such infrastructure projects before they are started. So, I advise the Government to pass robust and comprehensive laws on the issues based on existing international human rights standards,” Mr. Bohoslavsky said.
He said the Sri Lankan Government should undertake an assessment of the human rights impact of its economic reform policies, apart from infrastructure projects.
Commenting on corruption, illicit financial flows and human rights, Mr.bohoslavsky commended the Government for establishing a special court to handle cases specifically related to bribery and corruption in order to speed up cases that have dragged on sometimes for years.
“It is equally important to ensure that their
The Sri Lankan Government should undertake an assessment of the human rights impact of its economic reform policies, apart from infrastructure projects
members are appointed on a meritocratic basis, enjoy stability and are independent during their entire tenure, and that the courts are financially autonomous and not subject to political pressure or interference,” he said.
He said illicit financial flows cover a broad range of phenomena including tax evasion, money laundering and corruption.
The negative impact of such flows on human rights, he said can be translated in a number of ways, the erosion of public finance and available resources being the one with the broadest impacts on human rights. “In order to assess those impacts and design and implement adequate policies, estimations of illicit flows are needed. Yet, I learned that no study or official estimation of illicit outflows or inflows has been conducted to date in Sri Lanka. I urge the Government to conduct these studies in order to further curb illicit financial flows in line with the Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.
He said banks in Sri Lanka have the duty to report suspicious transactions to the pertinent authorities based on the principle ‘know your client’.
“However, because tax evasion is not considered a predicate offense in the country, banks have no duty to report suspicious transactions that could involve tax evasion of their clients. I urge the Government to close this legal gap and request help from the banks to improve tax collection,”
he said.