UN Human Rights Council 60th Session

Geneva, September/October 2025

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (HCHR) oral report based on his written report, September 8, 2025 https://youtu.be/u_hebwD0fRE?si=BMN-_48S-QVsKH1Q

Full interactive dialogue on Sri Lanka, September 8

HCHR, plus statements of country groups, starting at 2hrs, 57min, 54sec – 1st Meeting – 60th Session of Human Rights Council | UN Web TV

Country statement, plus NGOs, from the beginning – 2nd Meeting – 60th Session of Human Rights Council | UN Web TV

Sri Lanka Foreign Minister’s statement – Statement delivered by Hon. Vijitha Herath, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism at the 60th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva 8th September 2025 | Sri Lanka

UK statement –UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue on the Report of OHCHR on the Human Rights Situation in Sri Lanka – GOV.UK

India statement – Welcome to Permanent Mission of India in Geneva
India statement re HCHR report on Sri Lanka during ID Sept 8 2025

Core Group statement – UN Human Rights Council 60: Core Group Statement on the Report of OHCHR on the Human Rights Situation in Sri Lanka – GOV.UK

Thank you, Mr President,

This statement is on behalf of the Sri Lanka Core Group comprising Canada, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and the United Kingdom.

We are grateful for Minister Herath’s presence today.

High Commissioner,

Thank you for your report and recent country visit which underscored both enduring challenges and opportunities for reform.

Your Office has previously documented gross human rights violations and abuses, including unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, sexual and gender-based violence and arbitrary detentions.

As you noted, Sri Lanka has an opportunity to break from its past and heal deep scars that continue to impact victims, survivors, and their families.

We welcome the government’s decision to abolish the Prevention of Terrorism Act. We urge the government to turn its commitments into meaningful actions on human rights, accountability, reconciliation, good governance and constitutional reform.

Addressing longstanding impunity is essential to build trust among victims and survivors in domestic judicial processes. We support a fully independent and effective public prosecutorial body.

It is crucial that investigations at mass grave sites are carried out in line with international standards and that journalists, human rights defenders and civil society organisations can operate freely and safely.

We remain willing to work constructively with Sri Lanka.

Thank you.

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Forum-Asia, Amnesty International, International Commission of Jurists

Joint Statement in the Interactive Dialogue on the Report of the Office of the
High Commissioner for Human Rights on Promoting reconciliation,
accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka
08 September 2025
Mr. President,
While the ICJ, Amnesty International and Forum Asia welcome the broad scope of the
High Commissioner’s report on Sri Lanka, we remain greatly concerned that the minimal
measures taken by the government and those announced recently are not tailored to
meet the human rights challenge in the context of ongoing repression against human
rights defenders and independent journalists. Critically, they will not be effective in the
absence of meaningful reform and concrete progress towards effective accountability
for allegations of serious IHL and human rights violations and abuses that may amount
to crimes under international law committed during the armed conflict.
A clear example of the discrepancy between announcements and reality concerns the
expanded application of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). The PTA continues to be
misused against the legitimate work of human rights defenders and journalists. The
North-East of the country remains heavily militarized, with activists, families of victims,
journalists, and human rights defenders being subjected to systematic surveillance,
intimidation, and reprisals. The harassment of journalist Kumanan for his reporting on
human rights in the North-East exemplifies the grave risks faced by independent
journalists carrying out critical work unwelcome by State authorities.
Some 16 years since the armed conflict ended, there have been no credible steps taken
towards accountability. This year at Chemmani, the exhumation of over 240 skeletal
remains, including infants, is stark evidence of potential atrocity crimes that require
independent international investigation.
We urge the Council and States to meet the need for continued international scrutiny
in Sri Lanka and renew in full the mandate of the OHCHR Accountability Project for a
minimum of two years, and to encourage progress towards accountability options,
including through universal jurisdiction and robust international mechanisms, centered
on the rights and dignity of victims and survivors.
Thank you.
Statement delivered by: Sandra Epal-Ratjen – International Advocacy Director – ICJ
For more information, contact:

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Amnesty, International Commission of Jurists, Asian Forum for Human Rights & Development, Human Rights Watch – Amnesty joint Sept 2025 ASA3702992025ENGLISH