UN to pursue forming the expert panel to advise the Secretary-General on Sri Lanka's accountability issues

The United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon is in the process of naming members to the panel of experts he will be establishing to advice him on the accountability issues of Sri Lanka's war.
"We are in the process of choosing the panel members and once that has been completed we will make an announcement," UN chief's spokesperson Martin Nesirky told the reporters at the media briefing on Friday (28). The spokesperson said that the process was moving forward.



According to Nesirky the panel will be advising the Secretary-General, based on international standards and experiences, on implementation of the commitments the government made in the area of human rights accountability during the visit of the Secretary-General to Sri Lanka a year ago.

Sri Lankan government vehemently opposed the UN's move to appoint the advisory panel on the basis that infringes on the country' sovereignty. However, the UN Chief had dismissed the Sri Lankan government's objections.

Nesirky said the importance of an accountability process to address allegations of violations of international humanitarian law committed during the final stages of the conflict was emphasized at the time and Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa has agreed to take measures to address these grievances.

However, President Rajapaksa recently appointed his own Commission on Lessons Learned and Reconciliation to examine key aspects of the conflict in Sri Lanka that ended a year ago.

The United States has expressed its support for the creation of the President's reconciliation commission and urged Sri Lanka to make the findings public.

On Friday Sri Lanka's External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris urged the United Nations to give Sri Lanka space to allow the commission to begin its work without impediment or without hindrance.

"And certainly, along the road, if we feel that there is a need for support, then we would certainly be happy to engage in a dialogue with the United Nations to get the benefit of the wisdom and the experience of the United Nations," Minister Peiris said addressing the media after a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton.

The Spokesperson said the Secretary-General strongly believed that there should be a serious and credible accountability process for human rights violations alleged to have been committed by both sides to the conflict. He said the Secretary-General has been very actively pursuing that, based on the commitment made by President Rajapaksa.