Press release

UK welcomes UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report on Sri Lanka

Hugo Swire welcomed the publication of the report from the investigation on Sri Lanka by the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR).

Minister for Asia, Hugo Swire

The United Kingdom co-sponsored the resolution in March 2014 that called for the OHCHR’s investigation.

Minister for Asia, Hugo Swire said:

I welcome the publication of this important report into allegations of serious violations and abuses of human rights in Sri Lanka. I am grateful to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, his staff and all who contributed, for the work that went into producing it. The UK has been a strong advocate for the UN’s investigation and was instrumental in securing the resolution that mandated it. We believe it is vital that the legacy of the conflict in Sri Lanka is properly addressed, to allow the country to fulfil its huge potential.

We will study the report’s recommendations closely, and we look forward to working with Sri Lanka and other partners at the UN Human Rights Council in response to it. We hope that we can agree a consensual resolution that will help to address the issues of the past and deliver lasting peace and prosperity for all Sri Lankans.

Further information

You can find the OHCHR report on Sri Lanka online.

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Published 16 September 2015