UN: Turning the searchlight inward

This is also the United Nations week. It is the 72nd anniversary of the organisation tasked with ensuring world peace, eliminating hunger and poverty among a host of other good things for the benefit of humankind.

Sri Lanka joined the UN as part of a superpower deal in 1955, and its citizens and the country have played a role disproportionately above its weight. At present, Sri Lanka’s soldiers are doing yeomen service with the UN Peace Keeping Force in Africa.

The week also saw, one of the many UN Special Rapporteurs submit a report that was expected from him. His official website titled it “Sri Lanka must step up progress on transitional justice”, though the state media said he was happy with the progress Sri Lanka was making. It all seems relative and a matter of interpretation.

Meanwhile, another UN Special Rapporteur, for the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression has slammed the UN itself for “failing” to adopt “robust” policies on access to information, which is increasingly the norm among Governments. Guess it is not a perfect world, after all. No. 08, Hunupitiya Cross Road, Colombo 02. P.O. Box 1136, Colombo editor@sundaytimes.wnl.lk - 2331276 news@sundaytimes.wnl.lk - 2479332, 2328889, 2331276 features@sundaytimes.wnl.lk - 2479312, 2328889,2331276 pictures@sundaytimes.wnl.lk - 2479323, 2479315 sports@sundaytimes.wnl.lk - 2479311 bt@sundaytimes.wnl.lk - 2479319 funtimes@sundaytimes.wnl.lk - 2479337, 2331276 2479540, 2479579, 2479725 2479629, 2477628, 2459725