Dinesh to inform UNHRC today

Scheduled to respond to Oral Update of HR High Commissioner tomorrow

Foreign Relations Minister Dinesh Gunawardena who arrived in Geneva yesterday would formally inform the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) of the decision of the Sri Lankan Government to withdraw its co-sponsorship of Resolution today, the Sri Lanka’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Geneva said.

• He will formally inform the Council Members of the decision of the Government to withdraw its co-sponsorship of Resolution 40/1 of March 2019

• Sri Lanka delegation to the 43rd Session of the Human Rights Council, will also respond to the Oral Update

It said Minister Gunawardena is scheduled to address the High Level Segment of the Human Rights Council (HRC) today, where he will formally inform the Council Members of the decision of the Government to withdraw its co-sponsorship of Resolution 40/1 of March 2019 on ‘Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka’, which also incorporates and builds on preceding Resolutions 30/1 of October 2015 and 34/1 of March 2017.

Minister Gunawardena, who leads the Sri Lanka delegation to the 43rd Session of the Human Rights Council, will also respond to the Oral Update on Sri Lanka by the Human Rights High Commissioner on February 27. He will meet the Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet on February 28.

The Sri Lanka Delegation to the current Session includes State Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs Mahinda Samarasinghe, Foreign Secretary Ravinatha Aryasinha, Additional Secretary to the President Admiral (Retd) Jayanath Colombage, Deputy Solicitor General Nerin Pulle, Director General of the UN and Human Rights Division of Ministry of Foreign Relations M.R.K. Lenagala, Senior State Counsel Kanishka Balapatabendi, Brigadier E.S. Jayasundara from the Ministry of Defence and Coordinating Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Relations Subash

Sri Wijethunga. Acting Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva Dayani Mendis and relevant staff will join the delegation during the session and meetings. During his stay in Geneva, Minister Gunawardena will also meet with the Director Generals of the United Nations Office in Geneva (UNOG), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Secretarygeneral of the InterParliamentary Union (IPU).