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GoSL to get its lowest votes ever at UNHRC

06 Oct 2022

  • Gradual decline in votes for SL since 2012: SL Permanent Geneva Rep. Chandraprema
  • Ali Sabry says changes in UNHRC membership unfavourable to SL, claims voting 47 controlled by West
BY Mirudhula Thambiah   The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) is expected to receive between five and 10 votes, significantly lower than it has received in the past, at today’s (6) vote on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution sponsored by the Core Group of Countries on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC, The Morning learnt.  It is understood that the Government is resigned to this result, as its attempts to sway votes in its favour have not borne fruit. Addressing an online forum yesterday (5), Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN Office in Geneva C.A. Chandraprema noted that in 2012, Sri Lanka received 15 votes in its favour, which dropped to 13 votes in 2013, 12 votes in 2014, and 11 votes in 2021, indicating a decrease in the number of votes gained by Sri Lanka in previous UNHRC resolutions.  “We have been facing resolutions since 2012. We have seen a decrease in the number of votes we’ve gained,” he added, while also noting that votes against Sri Lanka have also seen a downward trend over the years. In 2012, around 24 votes were against Sri Lanka, which rose to 25 votes in 2013, but dropped to 23 votes in 2014, and 22 votes in 2021. Meanwhile, addressing the same forum, Minister of Foreign Affairs M.U.M. Ali Sabry PC said that unfortunately for Sri Lanka, the composition of the UNHRC has changed, and that therefore, presently, many member countries that voted for Sri Lanka at previous sessions are no longer UNHRC members. Hence, he said, the ongoing 51st UNHRC session in Geneva is unlike those in the past.  “Many who voted with us, our friends and like-minded groups, in the last session are no longer members at the UNHRC and therefore, we are in a difficult situation and that is the reality,” he said.  On 14 October 2021, the UN General Assembly elected Argentina, Benin, Cameroon, Eritrea, Finland, The Gambia, Honduras, India, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Montenegro, Paraguay, Qatar, Somalia, UAE, and the US to the Human Rights Council (HRC) for the 2022-2024 term. He noted: “Despite all of this, we know that although the wider membership of 193 is overwhelmingly sympathetic towards Sri Lanka, the voting membership is 47, which is totally dominated by a group that holds economic and other powers. Irrespective of the result, we cannot agree with or co-sponsor the resolution, because it will go against our people. If we agree to co-sponsor it, some day when someone with an agenda prosecutes our people, the chances of making any sort of defence against it will also be lost. Therefore, we are compelled to oppose this, but we are not naïve to not understand the reality of the voting and the results, which are driven by very powerful countries against a small country like Sri Lanka,” he added.  Sabry further commented: “Does that mean that we should give up our freedom and sovereignty and allow somebody to trample our constitutional processes and governance? We will not allow that. In order to safeguard our sovereignty and integrity, we will continue to resist together with our friends, but most of them are no longer members of the UNHRC.”   Sabry said that Paragraph Eight of the Core Group resolution poses a threat to Sri Lanka.  “It will violate our Constitution, territorial integrity, the separation of powers, and the independence of the judiciary,” he explained, while also noting: “We all know that these are very powerful Western countries with strong economic power. They have now managed to secure another 30 members to co-sponsor the resolution, who generally belong to the global West.  “It is basically this resolution on Sri Lanka that has been on the agenda since 2009 from time to time. Irrespective of the Government, political parties in power, and the leadership in place, Sri Lanka has been perpetually on the agenda. Regardless of what they deliver, they will continue with a new team and this will remain. If anyone is saying that this is targeting a particular government, leader, or party, they are being misled. This is a continuous agenda, to use human rights as a tool to control the manner in which affairs in Sri Lanka are being conducted,” he stated.  The resolution is currently co-sponsored by Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malta, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the US.  


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