Hague, Baird To Set The Tone

• UK, Canada Foreign Ministers To Make Opening Statements At UNHRC

By Easwaran Rutnam-Sunday, February 09, 2014

British Foreign Secretary William Hague and Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird are expected to set the tone on Sri Lanka at the 25th regular session of UN Human Rights Council next month as they have been scheduled to make statements at the High Level segment on the opening day.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is scheduled to deliver the opening statement of the session on March 3 followed by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, according to the draft list of speakers confirmed last Friday.
Following statements by the Foreign Ministers of Gabon, Colombia and Russia during the morning session, British Foreign Secretary William Hague will make a statement while Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird, a strong critic of Sri Lanka, will make a statement in the afternoon.

Hague is expected to comment on the US sponsored resolution on Sri Lanka which will be submitted to the Council during the 25th regular session. Britain is to co-sponsor the resolution. Baird has meanwhile been pushing for an international investigation in Sri Lanka into alleged human rights abuses committed during the final stages of the war and he is expected to reiterate that call during his speech.

Among others scheduled to speak at the High Level segment are Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission and Laurent Fabius, the Minister for Foreign Affairs in France.

When contacted, the External Affairs Ministry said that a final decision has not yet been taken on the composition of the Sri Lankan delegation for the 25th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council which begins on March 3 and continues till March 28. Sources at the Ministry also said that there was no confirmation if minister G. L. Peiris will address the High Level segment of the session. At next month’s session, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay will be submitting a comprehensive report on her visit to Sri Lanka last year.

The Government meanwhile says it has gathered the support of several countries to defeat the US sponsored resolution on Sri Lanka. Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said that he had visited several countries as a special envoy of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to drum up support against the resolution. The Minister said that he had briefed the countries on the efforts taken by the Government to establish peace and reconciliation. “There are several countries ready to support Sri Lanka to defeat the resolution despite the pressure being put by the US,” he said.

However, at the same time, the Minister admitted that there are several countries that will support the US and the resolution in Geneva. The Minister however asserted that Sri Lanka is not ready to kneel down before the international community and send the army to the gallows.