The United States (US), the prime mover of the resolution on Sri Lanka while calling for an international inquiry into human rights violations, has called for another side event in Geneva on March 18 to lobby for support, a spokesman said yesterday.

Previously, the US called for a similar informal session on March 7, on the sidelines of the UNHRC session, and around 30 countries interested in Sri Lanka’s issue attended the event.

The United Kingdom, Montenegro, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Mauritius are the other co-sponsors of the resolution.

The draft resolution, submitted to the UNHRC, has asked for an international inquiry into the allegations of human rights violations and accountability issues. It also calls for impartial inquiries into the Weliweriya shooting incident and the attacks on the places of religious worship.

An External Affairs Ministry spokesman told the Daily Mirror that Sri Lanka’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva remained engaged with    the countries concerned about this resolution and its content.

“At the March 7 meeting, some countries spoke for Sri Lanka. We rejected this resolution. It is a bad precedent. If it is adopted, it will have dire consequences on the other developing countries involved in the UN process,” he said.

The five UN Security Council member countries - China, Russia, France, the UK and the US also - hold membership of the UNHRC this time. However, none of them has veto power in the UNHRC because each vote is given equal value.

Meanwhile, some TNA members of the Northern Provincial Council have gone to Geneva to lobby for the resolution. (Kelum Bandara)