Context: India abstained from a crucial vote on Sri Lanka’s rights record at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. Both the government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which sought the exact opposite outcomes on the resolution, had expressed hopes of obtaining India’s support.

Details:

• The resolution on ‘Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka’ was adopted after 22 states of the 47-member Council voted in its favour.
• Sri Lanka was quick to reject the UN move to collect and preserve evidence of war crimes in the country, committed by the armed forces and the LTTE.

United Nations Human Rights Council:

• The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world.
• The UNHRC has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a regional group basis.
• The headquarters of UNHRC is in Geneva, Switzerland.
• The UNHRC investigates allegations of breaches of human rights in United Nations member states, and addresses important thematic human rights issues such as freedom of association and assembly, freedom of expression, freedom of belief and religion, women's rights, LGBT rights, and the rights of racial and ethnic minorities.
• The UNHRC holds regular sessions three times a year, in March, June, and September.

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/india-abstains-from-resolution-on-sri-lanka/article34145889.ece

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/india-abstains-in-unhrc-vote-on-sri-lanka/article34145981.ece

Download PDF