The Sri Lanka Core Group, comprising Canada, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia and the United Kingdom, has issued a joint statement at the 63rd Session of the UN Human Rights Council, welcoming the High Commissioner’s balanced assessment of the human rights situation in Sri Lanka while pressing for deeper reforms.
The Core Group acknowledged Sri Lanka’s recent challenges, including severe weather events and global energy shocks, but stressed that the government’s stated commitment to reform must translate into “concrete progress.”
Positive steps were noted, such as the ratification of ILO Convention 190 and Sri Lanka’s engagement on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
However, the statement underscored that “much further action is needed to build confidence in accountability and reconciliation efforts.”
The Core Group highlighted unresolved emblematic cases and pointed to mass grave excavations as reminders of thousands of enforced disappearances still pending resolution.
Concerns were also raised over reports of intimidation, harassment, and restrictions affecting civil society, journalists, and victims’ groups, particularly in the North and East.
Calling for progress on democratic governance, the statement urged transparent and inclusive consultations that address the needs of all affected communities.
It emphasized advancing legal and institutional reforms, resolving land‑related issues, ensuring respect for human rights in detention institutions, and strengthening independent institutions.
Full statement: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/un-human-rights-council-63-joint-statement-on-sri-lanka (Newswire)
