The newly formed Sri Lankan government, led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has decisively rejected UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Resolution 51/1, which aims to extend the mandate of an external evidence-gathering mechanism on alleged human rights violations.
On October 8, the Cabinet, under President Dissanayake, resolved that Sri Lanka will address human rights concerns, including reconciliation, through domestic mechanisms rather than external interventions, according to Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Vijitha Herath.
From September 9 to October 11, 2024, during the 57th session of the UNHRC in Geneva, Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative, Himalee Arunatilaka, emphasized the country’s focus on initiatives such as rehabilitating ex-combatants, demining, and resettling displaced people.
Resolution 51/1, introduced in 2022, has been consistently opposed by Sri Lanka, with the new administration continuing this stance as part of its first major international policy decision.
