Govt. to lobby African support

10 February 2014 04:00 am

With the March sessions of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) not too far ahead, the Government hopes to send a ministerial delegation to South Africa to lobby support from countries in the region to defeat a likely US-sponsored resolution on Sri Lanka, Daily Mirror learns.

South Africa is known to have influence over the UNHRC member countries in the African region. However, the dates for the visit and the composition of the delegation have not been finalised. South Africa has already expressed its keenness to share its post-apartheid experience on conflict resolution with Sri Lanka.

Renowned human rights activist and former South Africa’s Constitutional Court Justice Albie Sachs will be in Sri Lanka soon to discuss matters with Sri Lankan authorities. He is said to be the chief architect of South Africa’s post-apartheid constitution.

Justice Sachs was appointed by South Africa’s iconic President Nelson Mandela in 1994 to the country’s newly established Constitutional Court of which he was a member till his retirement in 2009.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris left for China yesterday evening to hold talks with top Chinese leaders on matters connected to the UNHRC sessions. Prior to his departure, he told Daily Mirror that he would meet his counterpart and China’s Deputy President and to the special official assigned to deal with matters connected to the UN and human rights.

“These meetings will be held on February 11 and 12,” the minister said.

He had also visited India for talks with Indian Foreign Minister Salman Kurshid. (Kelum Bandara)