By Easwaran Rutnam The implementation of the Resolution on Sri Lanka adopted by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva last Thursday will cost the United Nations $ 337,800. The Human Rights Council Secretariat said that draft Resolution A/HRC/40/L.1 entitled “Promoting Reconciliation, Accountability, and Human Rights in Sri Lanka” will require the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to approve at least 12 field missions to be conducted in Sri Lanka in 2020 and two in 2021. Under the terms of operative paragraphs three and four of draft Resolution A/HRC/40/L.1, the Human Rights Council would request the Office of the High Commissioner and relevant special procedure mandate holders, in consultation with and with the concurrence of the Government of Sri Lanka, to continue to strengthen their advisory and technical assistance on the promotion and protection of human rights and truth, justice, reconciliation, and accountability in Sri Lanka. The Resolution also requests the Office of the High Commissioner to continue to assess progress on the implementation of its recommendations and other relevant processes related to reconciliation, accountability, and human rights in Sri Lanka, and to present a written update to the Human Rights Council at its 43rd session, and a comprehensive report, followed by a discussion on the implementation of Council Resolution 30/1, at its 46th session. “In order to implement the requests contained in the draft resolution, general temporary assistance will be required at the P-4 level for 12 months in 2020 and three months in 2021 in Colombo to support the assessment of progress on the implementation of the recommendations and other relevant processes related to reconciliation, accountability, and human rights, liaise with relevant stakeholders in the design and processing of projects in support of the Government’s commitments under the resolution, provide substantive advise on transitional justice issues, and support the drafting of the reports,” a spokesperson at the Secretariat told The Sunday Morning. The Human Rights Council Secretariat said that 12 field missions in 2020 and two field missions in 2021 (seven days each) will be conducted in Colombo and other provinces for which funds will be required for local transportation, interpretation, security, communications, and other miscellaneous expenses during field missions and conference services for the translation of the reports to the Human Rights Council to be presented at the 43rd and the 46th sessions. The adoption of the draft resolution would give rise to the total requirement of $ 337,800, the Human Rights Council Secretariat said. The Human Rights Council Secretariat said that the related provisions have not been included under the proposed programme budget for the year 2020. The requirements, in accordance with established procedures, would be brought to the attention of the General Assembly at its 74th session in the context of the annual report of the Secretary General on the revised estimates resulting from resolutions and decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council during 2019. The UNHRC Resolution on Sri Lanka was passed without a vote in Geneva on Thursday. The Resolution was presented by the Core Group on Sri Lanka and was cosponsored by Sri Lanka and several other countries. UNHRC member countries did not seek a vote on the Resolution and as a result it was passed without a vote. Battle in Geneva The final days leading up to the vote saw Tamil Diaspora groups and hard-line nationalists battle it out in Geneva. The Tamil Diaspora pushed for a stronger resolution on Sri Lanka while their opponents pushed for Sri Lanka to be taken off the agenda. The battle between both sides was open to be seen at a side meeting on Sri Lanka held at the UN building in Geneva. The event was organised by Pasumai Thaayagam (Green Motherland) in coordination with the Tamil Centre for Human Rights (TCHR) in France. Some members of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and other Tamil groups attended the event, as did a group led by former Parliamentarian and retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara. An exchange of words took place during the discussion involving the Tamil Diaspora and the group led by Sarath Weerasekara. A heated exchange of words also took place between TNA member M.K. Sivajilingham and the group led by Sarath Weerasekara as soon as the event concluded. Founder General Secretary of TCHR S.V. Kirupaharan, who moderated the discussion, said that he intervened when some participants attempted to disrupt the meeting. “I told them this is not the Sri Lanka Parliament,” Kirupaharan told The Sunday Morning. Some NGOs later told the UNHRC that they faced harassment while attending the Geneva sessions. Meanwhile, responding to the adoption of the UNHRC Resolution, Amnesty International South Asia Director Biraj Patnaik said that the adoption of the UN Human Rights Council Resolution is an important step in the pursuit of justice for the victims of alleged international crimes during Sri Lanka’s decades-long internal conflict. “With this resolution, the international community should actively engage with Sri Lanka toward faster progress on truth, justice, reparation, including guarantees of non-recurrence,” he said. He, however, noted that it was disappointing that the final text of the Resolution failed to address Sri Lanka’s failure to meet its commitments to date. Patnaik said that despite the pledges made in Resolution 30/1, there continues to be impunity for violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. He said the absence of accountability and the slow progress on other fronts had disillusioned many victims’ groups and eroded hopes for the transitional justice process. “The Sri Lankan Government’s backtracking on accountability was in evidence during the interactive dialogue where the Foreign Minister pushed back against the recommendation that hybrid courts be established. “Transitional justice must not become a casualty of Sri Lanka’s political situation. To ensure no further delays take place, the Sri Lankan Government should work together with the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights to develop a time-bound implementation strategy, as recommended by the Resolution.” Amnesty International was one of many NGOs present in Geneva pushing for a stronger resolution on Sri Lanka.