UN Panel will decide when its report on Sri Lanka is completed - Spokesman

The Panel of Experts appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General to advise him on alleged violations of humanitarian law by Sri Lanka will decide when its report will be completed, the Spokesperson for the UN Chief said Monday.

When asked about a reported meeting between the Panel members and a recent Sri Lankan delegation, UN chief Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Martin Nesirky said that it is for the advisory panel to comment on any meetings that they may have had.

He declined to confirm that any meeting took place in New York between the Panel and the Sri Lankan delegation that included Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe and the Attorney General Mohan Peiris.

The three-member Panel led by the former Attorney General of Indonesia Marzuki Darusman commenced its work on September 16, 2010. The deadline was extended to February 15 when its initial four-month deadline elapsed in January this year.

Once it is completed, the Panel is to submit its final report to the UN Secretary-General.