Sri Lanka has signed on to a joint statement alongside a cross-regional group of countries expressing concern over punitive actions and coordinated attacks targeting Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories.
The letter, addressed to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and signed in Geneva, was co-sponsored by Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Iceland, Namibia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Venezuela, and members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The statement condemned what it called "unjust" attacks on Albanese and other UN Special Procedures Mandate Holders - particularly via social media - with the intention of discrediting and undermining those exposing violations of international law.
“The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and UN Special Procedures had earlier expressed concern at the relentless and intensifying social media attacks against independent United Nations’ experts, staff and specialised agencies,” the letter noted. “These unwarranted and unjust attacks, which we unequivocally reject, seek to undermine the legitimacy and credibility of the UN Special Procedures Mandate Holders, particularly of those exposing the truth about grave violations of international law.”
Sri Lanka’s participation in the joint letter has drawn attention, given the island’s own contentious human rights record and longstanding resistance to UN investigations into war crimes committed by the state.
Numerous protests have been held outside the UN headquarters in Colombo in recent years, denouncing United Nations senior figures such as Yasmin Sooka and Ban Ki-Moon, as accountability was sought for atrocities committed against Tamils.