The Senior Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Baroness Warsi, speaking at the House of Lords, noting recommendations made by the UN Human Rights Chief in a report released last week, reiterated the UK’s commitment towards passing a resolution for an international investigation into crimes in Sri Lanka.

Responding to comments made by Lord Naseby questioning the validity of a resolution at the UNHRC, Baroness Warsi, reiterated,

“We have yet to see a meaningful, time-bound, independent, domestic-led political process with clear milestones in this matter.”

Speaking on behalf of the opposition, Lord Bach, highlighted cross-party support for the FCO’s work towards passing a UNHRC resolution that called for an international investigation into war crimes in Sri Lanka and confirmed the earnestness of the work at the UNHRC, stating,

“The Opposition support the Government’s response to this question. Can the Minister confirm to the House that the Prime Minister will be true to his word on this, and that the Government will continue to work closely with the United States Administration and others at the forthcoming session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, to which she has already referred, in the order that an independent international inquiry can be set up at the earliest possible time?”

Lord Avebury, of the Liberal Democrats, highlighting lack of progress towards accountability in Sri Lanka, congratulated the Prime Minister for setting the scene for the resolution at the UNHRC, stating,

“Five years have elapsed since the end of hostilities and no progress has been made towards setting up a credible independent investigation into the killing of the estimated 40,000 civilians during the final weeks of the civil war. The Prime minister is to be warmly congratulated on taking the leading role in setting the scene for the resolution at the Human Rights Council next month.”