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Monday, June 02, 2008 - 09.11 GMT |
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Foreign Ministry clarifies position on UN
Security Council debate |
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Foreign Ministry clarifying its position on
the UN Security Council debate on Protection
of Civilians in Armed Conflict which
concluded on May 27 said that the situation
of Sri Lanka is not under consideration by
the Security Council and the Council did not
take a decision on establishing a working
group or an expert group on civilian
protection in general or on any specific
situation as implied by certain local print
media.
None of the Members of the Security Council
made references to Sri Lanka, a Foreign
Ministry press release said.
The UN Security Council held an open debate
on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict
on 27 May 2008. This is a routine debate of
the Council which is generally held every
six months. Following a briefing by the
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian
Affairs, Sir John Holmes, members of the
Council and several non-members spoke at the
debate.
Contrary to reports in the local print media
which implied that the Security Council had
focused its sole attention on Sri Lanka,
this was an open debate, focusing on
protection of civilians in conflict
situations in general, and specifically on
situations which are on the agenda of the
Security Council. No formal decision or
resolution was adopted by the Council at
this meeting.
Concerns expressed by delegations at the
debate ranged from mass atrocity crimes
against civilians, humanitarian access to
civilian populations affected by conflict,
sexual and gender-based violence in conflict
situations, internally displaced persons and
refugees, women and children, civilian
protection mandates of peacekeeping
operations and impunity for violations of
human rights and international humanitarian
law.
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian
Affairs, during his briefing to the Council,
referred to humanitarian concerns including
access and protection issues in country
situations which are already on the agenda
of the Security Council, and also in
countries affected by conflict. In Sri
Lanka, the Under-Secretary-General stated
that hundreds of civilians have been killed
or injured this year in attacks on civilian
buses, railway stations and other public
places. He highlighted that only last month,
over 40 civilians including the Government's
Highways Minister were killed in separate
suicide attacks.
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