Geneva, 26 May 2009


Mr. President:
I have the honour to make this statement on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Allow me first of all to welcome H.E. Hon. Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister for Disaster Management and Human Rights of Sri Lanka. His presence with us in this special session is a testimony of the commitment of Sri Lanka towards this Council and with the promotion and protection of human rights.

Sri Lanka’s recognized practice of engaging the international community at all levels is to be commended. On several occasions we have had the opportunity to interact with High Level delegations travelling long distances from Colombo to Geneva. We often see Sri Lankan Ministers and other high ranking officials, including our dear and prestigious colleague Ambassador Dayan Jayatilleka, sharing information with the Council, regional groups, delegations on a bilateral basis, and high level officials from various UN Agencies in town. For the NAM such opportunities of dialogue have proven to be very useful.

Mr. President:

The NAM congratulates Sri Lanka on putting an end to more than 25 years of internal conflict. Sri Lanka’s sovereign right to fight terrorism and separatism within its undisputed borders must be respected.

Following the end of military operations, Sri Lanka has entered a new post-conflict beginning, in which the country faces many immediate and long-term challenges, as has been recognized by the Government.

In that regard, the NAM wishes the Government and people of Sri Lanka success in rapidly overcoming the consequences of the conflict and in achieving economic and social progress contributing to the promotion and protection of all human rights for all. We hope that the new situation will contribute to fostering long-term peace and development, and we urge the international community to cooperate with Sri Lanka in that regard.

Mr. President:

The convening of this special session has been marked by divisions and lack of understanding among various actors, mainly because some of the initial sponsors of the idea to have a special session acted in an old-fashioned and non-transparent manner, detrimental to the new culture of work that should guide the functioning of the Human Rights Council. We really hope that such behavior will not be repeated in the future, and that preserving an atmosphere of transparent and inclusive dialogue at all times and with all actors will be a priority for all.

To conclude Mr. President, allow me to reiterate that the NAM firmly believes that preserving the core principles of avoiding selectivity and double-standards, as well as promoting an approach of cooperation for the promotion and protection of human rights are vital to the success of the Human Rights Council.

The NAM remains fully committed to these principles and urges all other actors to do as well.

Thank you

(Cubaminrex- Embacuba Ginebra)