The European Union has called on Sri Lanka to allow visits to the island from UN special mandate holders, in a statement released to mark World Human Rights Day.
Welcoming visits to the island by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Special Envoy on Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, the statement urged to government of Sri Lanka to further grant outstanding requests for UN access, highlighting in particular the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances.
The statement also noted that,
“further challenges also remain in upholding the independence and effectiveness of the judiciary and the rule of law, strengthening freedom of expression, taking effective action to end religious intolerance and preventing sexual abuse of women and children”.
However the EU also praised “significant improvements since the end of the conflict” and called on Sri Lanka to implement recommendations from the LLRC “in order to ensure justice and meaningful reconciliation”.
See the full statement here.
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