Sri Lanka asserts will not be bound by advise of UN Rapporteurs

By APD writer Easwaran

**COLOMBO, Oct. 11 (APD) ** – Sri Lanka on Wednesday asserted that, like any other government, it will not not bound by the advice or recommendations of UN Special Rapporteurs, but can avail of the expert knowledge and experience of Special Rapporteurs who are available to governments as a resource.

The Foreign Ministry said that the advice and expertise of Special Rapporteurs can be obtained by countries in a manner that would benefit institutional capacity building, policy formulation, and policy reform, training needs etc., as a government may consider necessary.

The Foreign Ministry said that at the invitation of the government of Sri Lanka, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Guarantees of Non-Recurrence, Pablo de Greiff is currently on an official country visit to the country.

During the visit, the Special Rapporteur is scheduled to meet with Ministers and Members of Parliament, Government officials at central and provincial levels, civil society, religious leaders, academics and representatives of the international community in Sri Lanka.

He will also travel to several parts of the country and as required of Special Rapporteurs, he will present a report on his visit to the Human Rights Council, in September 2018.

The Foreign Ministry said that Once de Greiff presents his report to the Human Rights Council in September 2018, it is for the government of Sri Lanka to decide whether there is anything that the government considers beneficial to the people of Sri Lanka in his recommendations, and whether the government wishes to draw on his knowledge, expertise and advice and consult him further in any manner.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)