Watch: Sri Lanka Opposes External Accountability Mechanisms, Cites Commitment to Domestic Processes

GENEVA — Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath has reiterated Sri Lanka’s firm stance against international intervention in its internal affairs, stating that the government is committed to advancing accountability through domestic processes. He specifically rejected external mechanisms such as the "Sri Lanka Accountability Project," arguing that they create divisions and hinder national reconciliation.

Minister Herath’s remarks were made during the 60th regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, where he responded to a recent report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk. The report, published in August 2025, detailed allegations of rights violations and urged Sri Lanka to take a number of steps, including acceding to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The UNHRC has also consistently called for external accountability mechanisms, citing a lack of progress in domestic investigations.

In his statement, the Foreign Minister emphasized the government’s focus on strengthening its own homegrown reconciliation efforts. These include existing institutions such as the Office on Missing Persons (OMP), the Office for Reparations (OR), and the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR). He also pointed to ongoing discussions to establish a new truth and reconciliation framework, aimed at creating a process that has the trust of all Sri Lankans.

The government maintains that external initiatives, including the UN's evidence-gathering mandate, are "divisive and intrusive" and infringe upon the country's sovereignty. Minister Herath called on the Council to provide the "space required" for Sri Lanka to implement its own transformative reforms and to support its domestic-led approach to justice and lasting reconciliation. (NewsCenter)