At the media briefing on Thursday, Farhan Haq, Acting Deputy Spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said there is nothing to be announced yet at this stage on a date for a possible visit.
Responding to a media question the spokesperson said the Panel is working on potential arrangements for a visit.
"We're working on potential arrangements, so we are in touch with the Sri Lankan authorities. The Panel, that is to say, is in touch. I have talked to the Panel and I know that those discussions are continuing. But at this stage we don't have an announcement to make on this," Haq said.
When asked whether the Panel is going to meet only the LLRC the spokesman said the Panel's agenda will become clear once they have finalized the arrangements and the Panel has a broader plan.
"I think that will become clear once we have some sort of announcement to make. It's clear that the Panel's work is broader than simply dealing with the LLRC, however," he stressed.
The LLRC has said that it will hear the Panel's representations on the basis of the Commission's Warrant and the usual procedures followed for such hearings although the decision to allow the Panel to visit lies with the government.
"Any decision to facilitate the UN SG's Panel to visit Sri Lanka lies entirely with the Government of Sri Lanka. If a decision is made to permit such a visit the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) will hear such representations on the basis of its Warrant and the usual procedures followed for such hearings," the LLRC said.
The government earlier said the Panel members, who started their work on the issues on September 16, will not be allowed to enter the country for any investigations.
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