The United National Party (UNP) today said the government has time until 2023 to win back the confidence of the international community, before the GSP+ comes up for renewal. Speaking at a news briefing held at Sirikotha, UNP Chairman Vajira Abeywardena said that it was because of the UNP’s ability to positively engage with the international community that the country regained the GSP+ from the EU in 2017. While blaming the government for a ‘colossal’ failure at the UNHRC sessions in Geneva, Abeywardena said the Government’s decision to withdraw from the previous resolution resulted in the fresh resolution. “Under the UNP Government in 2015, the country co-sponsored a resolution that had the unanimous support of the council. The current Government reversed that decision and left us with only the support of 11 countries,” he said. He further explained that it was the then Preside Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2009 who entered into an agreement with the then UN Secretary-General. “Former President Rajapaksa undertook a joint agreement with former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, which is something no Sri Lankan President has done before. It is now the duty of the Government to uphold the obligations the former President signed”, he explained. Elaborating on the decision of the UNP led Government to co-sponsor a resolution, the Party Chairman said that the UNP was simply adhering to the conditions the former President agreed to on behalf of the country. “According to the resolution sponsored by the UNP Government, Sri Lanka would adhere to a domestic mechanism. We did not agree to any foreign involvement beyond observers”, he explained. Questioning the Government on their position, the Chairman asked what domestic mechanism they would follow. “Under the UNP Government it was the local courts which would investigate allegations of war crimes and decide on the innocence or guilt of those accused. This Government has rejected that procedure by withdrawing from the resolution, they must now explain what domestic mechanism they will adhere to”, he said. The Chairman added that it was UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s decision to not sign the Rome Statue which ensured that no citizen of Sri Lanka would be taken before the International Criminal Courts, despite the Government claiming otherwise.