A request from the Sri Lankan representative at the UN Human Rights Commission

Sri Lanka urged the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, to take steps to prevent the perpetual continuation of special human rights mandates implemented by the United Nations Human Rights Council concerning countries. This request was made by Ambassador Sumith Dassanayake, Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, while addressing the General Debate under Agenda Item 2 of the 63rd Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday (8).

He pointed out that clear methodologies and periodic reviews are necessary to terminate these mandates when the respective countries demonstrate progress.

Ambassador Dassanayake emphasized that no human rights mandate can be maintained indefinitely, and mandates for countries should be periodically reviewed based on clearly defined objectives and measurable outcomes. He also stated that sunset clauses and phased withdrawal provisions should be included in resolutions concerning countries at appropriate times. The Sri Lankan representative clarified that it is essential for countries demonstrating progress through national processes, dialogue, cooperation, and technical assistance to have a credible pathway to terminate such mandates.

The Ambassador stated that the continuation of mandates should be justified not by the institutional need to maintain them, but solely by verifiable results. He also requested that these mandates be consolidated or streamlined to enhance the efficiency of the Council's resource utilization in instances where functions overlap. The Sri Lankan delegation further emphasized that the limited resources of the Human Rights Council should be directed towards the world's most urgent human rights challenges, such as armed conflicts, humanitarian crises, and displacement.

Ambassador Dassanayake stated that Sri Lanka has achieved significant progress through its national process for the protection and promotion of human rights, and that this progress should be acknowledged by the Human Rights Council. These remarks were made when a written update on Sri Lanka's human rights situation was presented to the Council with the participation of High Commissioner Volker Türk. Sri Lanka also requested a more targeted, relative, and mandate-based approach to country reporting, in line with ongoing reforms across the entire UN system to enhance efficiency and prioritization.