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<p>On 21 March the Annual Report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights assessed progress made by the Sri Lankan government in the implementation of
UN Human Rights Council resolution 30/1 and 34/1. We agree that progress has been
made and welcome restoration of important democratic checks and balances, improvements
in freedom of expression and assembly, the return of some military–held civilian land,
the establishment of an Office of Missing Persons and the ratification of the Convention
on Enforced Disappearances.</p><p>However, we want to see further and faster progress.
In particular, we encourage the Government to establish the full range of transitional
justice mechanisms envisaged in resolution 30/1, to deliver meaningful devolution
through constitutional reform, replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act with human
rights compliant legislation, and return all remaining military-held private land.
We continue to urge the Government of Sri Lanka to deliver fully on the commitments
it made in resolutions 30/1 and 34/1.</p><p>On 21 March, the UK introduced a new Resolution
at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva rolling over these commitments, calling for
the development of a comprehensive and time bound implementation strategy. I am pleased
that this Resolution was adopted by consensus with 42 co-sponsors, including Sri Lanka.</p>
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