The UK continues to encourage and support Sri Lanka to deliver the commitments it made to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) through Resolutions 30/1, 34/1 and 40/1. We firmly believe that this is the best framework for establishing truth and achieving justice and lasting reconciliation. The Government has made these points regularly to Sri Lankan Ministers, including during a Ministerial visit to Colombo in October and in a number of meetings since. The British High Commissioner in Colombo also holds regular discussions on the implementation of the UNHRC resolutions with the Government of Sri Lanka.<\/p>
In March the UK welcomed the Annual Report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, which assessed progress made by the Sri Lankan Government in the implementation of UNHRC resolutions 30/1 and 34/1. The Report found that the Government of Sri Lanka had taken some steps to address human rights concerns and to introduce more democratic and accountable government, including 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>
However, more needs to be done. The UK has urged further progress on these issues, and encouraged the Government of Sri Lanka to deliver meaningful devolution through constitutional reform, and to establish and then utilise credible mechanisms for transitional justice. We continue to urge the Government to prioritise the steps required to deliver fully on the commitments it made in resolutions 30/1, 34/1 and 40/1, and to develop a comprehensive and time bound implementation strategy.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1466", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South West Wiltshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Dr Andrew Murrison"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-17T14:39:37.207Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-07-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Sri Lanka: Human Rights"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Sri Lankan counterpart on the implementation of UN Human Rights Council resolutions regarding the aftermath of the Sri Lankan civil war.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1500", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Theresa Villiers"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Chipping Barnet"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Theresa Villiers"} ], "uin" : "276526"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1138635", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1138635/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government has not made representations to the US Administration in relation to this specific case. The British Government's long-standing position remains that the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay should close.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/343", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rutland and Melton"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Sir Alan Duncan"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-17T16:13:16.833Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-07-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Abdullatif Nasser"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has made representations to the US Administration for the release of Abdullatif Nasser after Mr Nasser was cleared for transfer in 2016.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/151", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tom Brake"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Carshalton and Wallington"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Tom Brake"} ], "uin" : "276505"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1138695", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1138695/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
EU sanctions against members of Ukraine's Yanukovych regime were originally imposed on 5 March 2014 and were renewed on a yearly basis. The decision by the European Court of Justice annuls sanctions decisions made in March 2017 and March 2018. However, the EU decided on 4 March to extend asset freezes against the individuals in question until 6 March 2020. The UK continues to freeze the assets of listed individuals under this regime.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/343", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rutland and Melton"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Sir Alan Duncan"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-17T16:11:14.593Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-07-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Ukraine: Sanctions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the decision of the European Court of Justice to annul sanctions on members of Ukraine's Yanukovych regime; and whether the Government remains committed to recovering those assets in the UK.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1436", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Paul Farrelly"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Newcastle-under-Lyme"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Paul Farrelly"} ], "uin" : "276521"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 3, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }