The 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) opens today, September 9, in Geneva, with a key focus on a report concerning Sri Lanka. The report, prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), will be discussed on the opening day.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk’s report highlights severe concerns about Sri Lanka’s human rights situation, exacerbated by the 2022 economic crisis and austerity measures. The report calls on Sri Lanka’s creditors to provide fiscal space to support economic, social, and cultural rights and stresses that economic policies must align with international human rights obligations.

The report identifies renewed threats to fundamental freedoms, including regressive laws, erosion of democratic checks and balances, and ongoing intimidation of civil society and journalists. It also notes the continued use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act for arbitrary arrests and detentions despite promises of reform.

Türk highlighted the significance of upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections for Sri Lanka to recommit to necessary reforms and reconciliation. He urged the international community to support accountability through various measures, including extraterritorial jurisdiction and targeted sanctions, in the absence of effective national prosecution.